Reign of Silence
by teawithmugi
Summary: Music has gone out of the world, and with it light and colors. Kingdoms once made grandiose by the magic of song have fallen into ruin, claimed by the Silence, the calamity that devoured all memory of music and of a world that was not dead. But not all forgot: there are those who remember a better world, one full of music. For the sake of restoring it, they will stop at nothing.
1. The Deadlands

She held on to the memory of music when all else was gone, and in the cold darkness, in moments where she could afford to roam the desolation absentmindedly, Aya Maruyama would hum the only melody that she remembered. It was a simple enough song, but there was a certain beauty to it, she thought. She knew no other songs, so she could not compare it to anything, but the warmth that filled her heart as she sang was beyond doubt, and more than once, during the harshest winter nights, it was only that flame that kept her alive.

Aya couldn't remember when it was that she learned it, when it was that she first sang it. Long ago, when the world still made sense. She could scarcely recall those days, save for the vaguest details. She tried not to dwell on the past. For the first years after the Silence, she held on to her memories for comfort, but now all they brought were pain.

It was still dark when it dawned and Aya was on the move again. It was fortunate that she had been undisturbed the past night, having found shelter in a long-abandoned watchtower, but she knew better than to get used to that. Just outside the tower she saw the old stone roads, once the pride of the Kingdom of Coloratus, now cracked and overrun with weeds between the faded stones. There was a time when these roads were a joyous sight for a weary traveler, a promise of safety from brigands and beasts, but now the armies of Coloratus were all stationed at its borders, and no longer protected the common folk. Aya avoided the roads when she could, now. She looked down at her own feet, and saw that the green on the stones was not only grass but moss as well, and by her boots vermin scurried without pause.

She stepped past them gingerly, making her way towards the fields of overgrown grass, always cautious to avoid any poison ivy; travelling, even through the less dangerous regions of the world, demanded a careful eye, lest one fall prey to the horrors beyond counting that haunted all the lands. Just last night Aya heard shrieks from afar, ones she could not identify. That was the most terrifying thing, she found, how even after years of living in this broken world, and having explored more of it than most, she could still be caught unawares. There were always new terrors to dread.

But this morning she saw no sign of life but for the insects scuttling all around. They never did so without purpose: it was carrion they sought, and of that there was always plenty. When Aya saw them, she knew that something was dead nearby. She hoped it was _something _rather than _someone_, at least. The vermin grew fat as they gorged themselves on the carcass of this world, as did the crows, buzzards and skullheads that flew high above. More than once Aya had seen vultures who were too heavy to fly, and no doubt would soon feed its own kin.

She followed the road south, into the Deadlands. That name made more sense when Coloratus could be said to be alive, but as the years passed, the blight spread to the north, claiming villages and cities and leaving monster-haunted ruins in its wake. Aya looked up, to see a pale sun, reluctant to shine, and some dark clouds. She prayed it might rain soon, thinking of the nameless village she left behind. There the crops thrived because of the magic of her Voice, but she could not stay there forever. She had a Melody to find, and could not abandon this duty, even if Arisa's pleas for her to stay touched her heart. _I will return, _she promised, forcing herself to smile when no one else would.

She would. Her bag was heavy with supplies, and her blade and Voice would keep her safe from any monsters that barred her way now. She was so close, now: just past the withered forest by the side of the road, only some miles away, Aya saw the shattered towers of Caerulium. There, she knew, she would find what she was looking for: a memory of the world that once was, crystallized, the proof that the world had once known music, colors, stars. A testament to the fact that things haven't always been silent, broken, hopeless. That memory was the only salvation for this world.

She had sought it for months, following whispers in the wind, hints of a long-lost song. A Melody. When the world was at its most silent, Aya would focus and hear the sweet flute of a faraway aria. The sound led her southward, drawn by its call. She needed that Melody, but it needed her, in turn: bereft of her Voice, the song would forever be incomplete, lost in the darkness with no one to hear it. A memory forgotten might as well not exist at all, and Aya would not accept that. She stepped into the forest, and there she was greeted by skeletal trees and briar patches wherein the bones of small animals lie. She unsheathed her sword, and opened her mouth. She sung the only song she knew, the only one she remembered: she couldn't even recall much of it, only some words, all of them in a language she didn't know anymore.

She didn't know what the words meant, but she knew them all the same, and she knew the magic they granted her. Magic and music were one and the same; when the world was whole, Aya remembered, they were not different words, but one. Yet now that they were gone the world saw fit to name them as separate things. Magic birthed a light upon Aya's hand; it flickered in harmony with her singing, glimmers of pink that, servants to her Voice, danced around her slender fingers, as wreaths of light.

Shadows shied away and gathered at her sides. Aya did not look anywhere but forward: there was much that lurked in the darkness, beasts and horrors, but she was no stranger to those, nor was she helpless. The monsters to fear, Aya knew, were the ones that preyed in broad daylight, the ones who had no cause to cloak themselves underneath shadows, killing freely, as they wished. So she moved onward, singing softly to herself, and though the winds blew cold, inside she felt a familiar warmth, another reason not to feel afraid. How could she, when her heart was touched by music? True, she could recall only the vaguest traces of it, but that was more than everyone else she knew. She was one of the lucky ones, the ones who knew the world could be - had been - something else. Something better.

_Or maybe I'm unlucky to know what we have lost. _The thought crept into her mind as she was nearing the edge of the forest and could once again see the pale light of the sun. It was colder underneath its unholy glow than beneath the shadows. A tree branch raked at her arm, when she was distracted. Had she walked into it, or had it moved to claw at her? Even the trees could not be trusted in lands so blighted. Though here they were lifeless husks, their leaves long gone and their bark the color of bone, they continued to grow to the sides, and towards the grey skies. A tangle of thorns and spikes, its roots too dug deep into the dry earth, twisting around themselves. In Suilen, Aya had learned, they had a name for these blighted forests: there they were simply called Ossuaries. She could not fault their reasoning.

Her blood was a brighter red against the weak grey of the tangle. _I was too careless_, she scolded herself. This was a mistake she should have made only years ago, when the world was first broken and she had not yet learned the nature of the Silence. She was a fool, then, and how she missed it, the privilege of being naive.

Caerulium now loomed ahead. A castle of the old world, Aya was unsure what she should expect there. Shadows circled around its towers. She trod across the barren land, and watched as the castle's crumbling stone grew larger before her eyes. Here and there she saw traces of what had once been a road, but the ruin here was harsher than on the other side of the forest. Outside of the Deadlands, one could at least believe that life once thrived; here, the very notion seemed like an awful joke. Even though, deep down, Aya _knew _that this region had once been like any other place in the world, she struggled to make herself believe that. This place was cursed from the birth of the world, a gaping wound in the earth.

She passed by bones, felt them crack beneath her feet, and watched deathsmaidens skitter out of them. Though small and harmless insects - if grotesque for their numerous legs and bulbous bodies - they disturbed Aya greatly. They did not exist while there was music in the world; it was the Silence and all the death it sowed upon the world that spawned those creatures, vermin that fed on death. Not corpses, as carrion beasts, but death itself. The Deadlands were the charnel houses of the world: so many had perished here in the years after the Silence that, it was said, there was no longer a boundary between this world and the next. Here the air was thick with ghosts. Aya felt their breath in the chill of the wind, their whispers in the ashes blown from nowhere, flying through the air towards nowhere. She felt death in her bones, and when she breathed she felt a little less alive than before. She would not linger here long. She was not the first to brave the Deadlands in search of treasures from a better world, but most who had done so were swallowed by death. She resolved to live. She had her Voice, she had songs to sing. She would not be consumed by death.

She stood before Caerulium's gates. One half had fallen, while the other remained as if to make a mockery of these defenses. Black and white they were, horn and ivory, adorned by jewels that gleamed the few colors in the Deadlands. Some were scattered along the cracked ground, where the gate had crumbled, rubies making a line like a streak of blood, the sapphires a pool of tears. The walls had crumbled, mounds of rubble piling where there once would be a moat, now dried. Aya looked up, melancholy, at the words written in gold on the upper portion of the gates. _These wonders by the grace of song and light. _Whatever else was written there, the words were gone. The grandeur here was now that of a mausoleum. Aya tried to imagine what Caerulium might have looked like, once, but her heart refused to. It was too sad a thought, knowing that all who lived here had died. She could see the castle only as a burial ground, haunted and unhallowed.

She stepped past the gate to find a ruined courtyard, pillars bearded by moss, supporting nothing. Aya saw the remnants of walls, long since crumbled, and looked for passage into Caerulium's towers, where she would find the Melody she sought. She focused on the sounds around her, until she could hear the Melody's call. Its song was louder now, but only barely. Aya stepped past a pile of rubble, towards what seemed to be worn-out stone stairs, most of its steps now faded, giving the stairs a uniform, sloped appearance, leading to large wooden doors, which Aya presumed to be the entrance - or, at least, _an _entrance.

She opened the heavy doors, slowly. Though glad to not find them barred, it took all of her strength to move them, and she had to sheathe her sword to free both her hands. She misliked letting go of her weapon, no matter the reason, and her worries were compounded by the realization that the doors should not have been closed if this place was deserted. Caerulium was not in the heart of the Deadlands, but close enough that it surely would have been deserted, and the destruction inflicted upon it indicated that monsters had attacked it at some point. If the castle was evacuated, why would its occupants bother closing this door on their way out, as they fled? Something lived here now, Aya understood. She was relieved when she managed to squeeze past the gap she opened, and could feel her sword's hilt again.

A relief greater still was the light she saw, when she expected to dive into darkness as she walked inside. Much of the ceiling had collapsed, and the cracked pillars did little to reassure Aya that this place was not about to fall apart, but the weak light of the sun shone through countless openings, and Aya was glad not to be in the darkness here, in a place she did not know.

Her steps were soft, cautious. She forbid herself from making a sound, so she moved slowly, breathed languidly, felt the cold air nestling deep into her body. And she heard a sound. It was hard to tell from which direction, but it was not her imagination: Aya stood perfectly still, and the sound became clearer. Footsteps. How many feet? That much she couldn't tell. More than two, but that meant very little. Not all that walked on two legs was human, and the beasts of the Deadlands were such disfigured anomalies that they could be just about anything. Aya had once seen two-headed hounds secrete blood from their ulcerated skins, groaning as they shambled on three legs that could not sustain their bodies. Others who shared with her tales of the Deadlands spoke of even more gruesome fiends, stories that kept Aya up at night, the memory of which still made her knees tremble.

The greatest terror of all was that, no matter how twisted they were, how beastly the monsters became, they had all once been human. The end of music brought about the end of their humanity; when their souls became tainted, their bodies, too, writhed into frightful, heartless forms. It instilled fear and sadness in her, both at the same time. Her Voice could grant them succour for a time, but they were lost. She thought of their eyes, empty at first glance, but on further inspection full of hatred, but also dread. Those eyes haunted her sleep, and reminded her that this was the fate of all mankind, if the Melodies remained lost.

Aya walked towards the source of the sound. More than the whispers of the Melodies themselves, the cries of beasts were the clearest indication of their whereabouts: the desperate desire to regain some sort of humanity drove all manner of monsters to gather around Melodies. Aya had never seen it with her own eyes, but heard the tales from adventurers who indulged her curiosity. Few of them still had all of their limbs, Aya recalled. She was like to find their remains here in Caerulium; resolved not to join them, Aya kept careful watch over her surroundings. Spiral staircases led her up and up and up, until she neared the top of one of the castle's many towers.

From that height she could see into the distance, take in the horror of the desolation all around her. _The fate of everything_, she reminded herself, _should I fail. _That thought urged her forward when her courage left her and she felt this was a fool's errand. It might be one, but she _was _a fool, Chisato had told her that much when they parted ways, three years ago.

A stone bridge connected this tower with another further ahead, taller and wider. Portions of the bridge had crumbled into the courtyard far below, and Aya regretted looking down. She hesitated before making the crossing. She still heard the sounds she did before, and louder now, but had ascended this whole tower without finding any life. The noises came from above, she was reasonably certain, and now a pained growl had joined the footsteps she heard. _Where?_ She would not be careless enough to cross without a clear idea of her surroundings, and all the threats there. But, then again, what choice did she have? She took her first step onto the bridge, feeling the brittle stone beneath her boots. Not an encouraging sensation. The path ahead was not so narrow, thankfully, but the railings that were once there had deteriorated, so only portions remained, and Aya was not wont to trust old, rusted iron.

Something stirred above. Atop the tower she had just climbed, something nested, and drew nearer. Aya turned back to face it, and saw a huge beak peering out, slowly, but with no head behind it, only a long, slippery tendril. The beak opened, hissed out a grotesque sound, but it was not a threatening cry; instead it sounded like choking. The creature did not reveal itself, and made no aggressive moves, but Aya did not turn her back on it. She watched it slither towards the edge, dragging itself with its many long arms that ended in fingerless hands. That was what she heard, Aya understood. The creature walked aimlessly, its steps reverberating across the tower. Though it appeared to have no head, Aya saw slits in the middle of its body, opening and closing. They did so in tune with Aya's own breathing: was that how this monster heard? It looked pained, despite having no expression. From the way it moved, its body bloated and leaking a yellow ooze down the walls, it seemed to be close to dying.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to it, and the slits opened for a longer time, now. It pulled itself back, away from the edge, with some difficulty. "I would sing for you, but…"

_But that would bring every creature here to me. _The Voice was a great gift, one she was thankful for, but it was a dangerous one, too. To the hearts of those who could not remember music, Aya's Voice could be overwhelming; to monsters, it was a memory of the humanity they lost, like the Melodies. The Voice of Peace, her gift was called, once, when she still stood by Hina's side. Hina knew more about magic than anyone else, though she lacked the Voice. Aya could bring some tranquility to those who were suffering, and she deeply wished she could share this peace with all, with this beast that agonized before her. But this serenity was not salvation, only a brief respite. It was the Melodies the world needed. She turned her back on the monster, and walked away, its soft cries growing quieter as she neared the tower ahead.

Try as she might, Aya could not hide deep inside herself, to silence the agonized sounds directed at her. The blessing of remembering music also meant she was cursed to never know silence, to never be able to ignore the pain around her. _The Melody is close now_, she told herself, to force herself to keep going. She stepped into the darkness of the tower, and hummed a gentle melody to bring light, her long shadow cast on a staircase leading down. Her light could not reach the end of the path; braving the unknown ahead of her, she made her way down.

Her surroundings were less ruined here than near the entrance. The ceilings remained, and the only light that shone through did so by way of discrete arrow slits. But even then, light was a rare thing. Webs abounded on the corners, and more than once Aya had to cut through them to get past. She found bones caught in the webs, and skeletons by her feet, all in scattered pieces. A skull there, another tangled in silken strands, but the remnants of their bodies were harder to identify. To be trapped by these webs, they had to belong to those who came here long after the Silence. Adventurers like her, in search of Melodies. The riches of Caerulium had not been plundered, for not even the boldest treasure hunter would visit this place for mere gold and gems.

Indeed, the stairs led her to an intact treasury, just past a barred iron door, its lock easily shattered by magic, small shavings of metal falling onto the floor. The dust had robbed the gold of its glitter; it lay in bars atop a long table, in coins inside cabinets, sharing space with elegant jewelry. Diadems and rings and necklaces, now bereft of color. Aya walked past them, and followed the Melody. It was louder now, louder than ever before; her heart beat fast, and it took a second for her to remind herself not to run. But how could she not? It had been years since she last stood before a Melody. She was not alone then. With Hina, Maya and Eve alongside her, she felt safer. When she remembered them, she felt more vulnerable than ever. Sometimes she felt brittle like the rusted iron in her way. Not content with devouring half of the world, the Silence made ruins of the survivors too, and scattered their pieces with indifference.

The corridors ahead widened and narrowed and branched off into paths that circled around themselves; Aya was left wondering if the blight that fell upon Caerulium had twisted its very walls, or if the emptiness and devastation simply made this castle stop making sense. If there were people, if there was life, perhaps Aya might have been able to identify the purpose of each chamber she passed by, what it was that the corridors led to. But with everything broken, with no one here to breathe life into the ruins, Aya could not even imagine how this could have once been a place where people dwelled. It was but a corpse, and corpses had no meaning, no reason. They simply rotted.

She found a light again when she reached a dining hall; huge portions of the walls had collapsed, and on their stone Aya saw marks of claws and scorch. They were not as faded as the damage she saw elsewhere: even now ashes remained on the floor, in the middle of huge splinters of wood. Someone else had been here, and not too long ago. Aya inspected her surroundings with caution, and found traces of footsteps on the dust. Many of them, in fact. She followed them to a ravaged, broken door, and just past it she saw the remains of a monster; a reptilian body left by a flight of stairs, its head some meters away. Worms ate at the beast, burrowing holes into its skin, and a corpsescarab made its nest in an empty eye socket. Aya shoved her sword through the insect, leaving a purple liquid on the edge of her blade. This corpsescarab was still small, but Aya would not allow it to grow; the creature would dwell inside a skull, and there it would grow, until its legs pierced through the bone and it could walk again. It would consume the rest of the corpse, then, and seek more so that it could keep growing. Entire villages could become food for these abominations, so Aya considered herself lucky for finding it while it was still an infant.

She made her way up the stairs, and at the end found another slain beast, this one covered entirely in flies. It was serpentine like the other, but Aya counted nearly a dozen small limbs along its body. She stepped past it gingerly, and again she walked into the darkness. She didn't have to focus on the Melody anymore; it resounded loud and clear, harmonious and pleasant. And as she drew closer, she felt the stench of death and rot.

A large, ill-lit hall awaited her at the end of the darkness. She cast a pink light on it, and flinched when she saw the immense figure of a snake, fangs bared. But it did not strike her. It lay completely still, and only upon a closer inspection did Aya confirm that it was dead, and the source of the nauseous malodor, a pungent smell that made Aya glad she had not eaten much in the morning, or her breakfast would now be all over her boots. She stepped back, wondering how such a huge creature could have been killed. The corpse was decayed enough that there was no telling the wounds and the putrescence apart. One of its fangs was missing.

Seats were scattered all over the hall, most of them crushed under the serpent's immense body. Aya's light sought the Melody in the darkness, and when it shone upon a wooden dais, something gleamed in response, and the song grew louder. She had found it. A red crystal rested upon an altar of scraped stone, and there a smaller monster rested, its body coiled around the gem. It looked like the dead creature just some meters away, but far smaller, with no eyes upon its face, only a huge maw. It growled when Aya approached, lifting its head, but it stood guard, and did not attack. Aya approached the stage, and standing before it she understood that this had been a ballroom, when this castle was still host to life. A place where once there was music, even now the memory lingered, with no one there to hear it.

She tripped on something; leaning against the altar, a body. On the torso, a massive fang was lodged deep in the rib cage. A man, Aya guessed, but there was no telling for sure. A sword had fallen next to his right hand, the steel painted with the crimson of dry blood. A mutual kill, though this adventurer had cut down more monsters on his way. Aya reached down, and took his bag, but found it light and almost empty. The serpent around the Melody had shied away from her, and when it opened its mouth to growl, there were almost no fangs there, and the ones that remained were shattered. Next to the altar, scattered teeth, each no larger than Aya's fingernails. A child? Aya looked at the monster with horror. The Silence showed no mercy to anyone, she knew that as well as anyone, but that never made it easier to stumble upon a beast that had once been a child. Blind, what could it do but hear its kin die? It did not latch onto the Melody greedily like so many monsters did, but instead looked to desperately try to extract some comfort from it.

How long had it been there? A monster could last much longer than a human without food, but inevitably it would need nourishment. Aya reached for the Melody, and in response the fiend lashed at her, but its movements were slow, weak. More than anything, Aya pitied it. And yet she needed the Melody…

She sang. It was the only song that she knew, and it wasn't even particularly long, only a few notes that repeated. All the same, they were soothing. When she sang it to Arisa, the girl would close her eyes and hold back a soft cry; the serpent could not shed tears, but in response to the song its body relaxed, and it loosened its grip on the Melody, until it finally let go. It lifted its head, its open mouth right before Aya's face, but she did not feel afraid. She knew it would not harm her. When the song ended, it slithered away, headed towards the opposite side of the hall, slowly, painfully.

_I wish I could do more. I wish this meant more than a moment of respite._

She reached for the Melody. On the crystal, runes shone in gold. Aya could not read them anymore, but she remembered seeing them before the Silence. Those who knew how to read those runes knew how to bring to life any song, and with it, magic. Magical, musical, though they were now beyond her comprehension, Aya couldn't help but smile, staring at the gilded runes. She _had _seen them. They were proof that the world had not always been this silent, broken grey, but a land of colors and music.

_I did it. _It should have made her feel proud. Instead, after instants of satisfaction, she felt hollow and alone, for she was not meant to do this by herself. Sighing, she steeled herself for the long way back. It was the first time she made the journey with no one by her side, and she realized, when she looked at her side, smiling before remembering she had no one to share this triumph with, that all she felt was cold, even as she sang.

* * *

"_I cannot do this on my own," she told the princess at her throne. "And neither can you."_

_Chisato Shirasagi looked down on Aya with a composure befitting her noble birth. It was a gaze that betrayed nothing of how she felt, her face a mask delicate in its beauty but harsh in its severity. Though she was a dainty girl, too small for this throne, she was not at all puny. Her presence made her seem much larger, almost imposing._

_She was thankful for that, in truth. It meant that all eyes were on the princess, and not her. Though Maya and Eve were amicable enough, this Hina girl always looked like she was judging everything and everyone around her. And the rest of the court was merciless, as courts often were. Aya did not want to be laughed at. She didn't even want to be looked at, but, of course, she had not been able to arrange a private audience with Chisato, so she had no choice but to barge into the castle and hope nobody decided to execute her._

"_You have the gift of the Voice, you tell me," Chisato said, "and that is a rare thing indeed, but how can I trust what you tell me? You can sing, you've proven that well enough, but we'll be relying on your word to guide us to these Melodies. We cannot hear them as you claim you can. You would lead us into danger, and all we would have to shield us is our trust in you."_

"_You _did _kind of invade the palace," Maya pointed out. "That's… That makes your word a bit doubtful. No offense meant."_

"_I came here knowing you could have your guards skewer me, or put my head on a spike at the gates," Aya said, growing desperate, "because, as I said… Alone, my gift is meaningless. And without me, how will you seek the Melodies? By chance? You'll send your armies into the Deadlands, without knowing where to begin looking?"_

"_She'll help me," Chisato pointed at Hina, smirking. "She may not have the memory of the world before the Silence as you do, but she has learned about music by deciphering old runes. Her magic is not a gift, but something she gained through effort, and her scrying has proven invaluable. It was thanks to her auguries that we've managed to find what few Melodies we have."_

"_With your pardon," Eve raised her voice. "You didn't trust Hina at first, nor did you trust me. When you brought us into your service, you were taking a chance as great as the one Aya asks of you. My princess, it was bold of you to choose us as your companions. I am a foreigner, from across the ocean, and many doubted that it was proper for you to choose me as the captain of your guard, and Hina, too, hails from elsewhere. There were those who whispered that you were a fool for accepting a daughter of a noble house from the Rosenreich."_

"_Hina?" The name had been familiar to Aya since they met, but only now that Eve brought up her homeland did Aya understand who this girl was. "Hina Hikawa?"_

"_That's me, alright," said the girl. "Are you surprised I'm so far from home? Well, home is boring. I wanted to see the world, and, well, I decided it might be better if I distance myself from my family, too."_

"_This is all beside the point," Chisato said. "You vouch for this girl, Eve, this insolent stranger you've met just today. I suppose everyone is a stranger until you decide to put your trust in them," the princess sighed, then waved for the court to leave the throne room. They obeyed without question, though some lingered for longer than the others. When they were gone, Chisato continued. "This throne is quite uncomfortable. From here I receive word from messengers telling us that the blight of the Deadlands is spreading. I must remain here while my parents are elsewhere, occupied with our wars, but here I feel only hopelessness. I sought to organize a team to seek Melodies, to bring back to Coloratus the music which was lost. I knew it would be difficult, and you're right that we cannot track a Melody as well as you can. So you come here bearing hope, a hope too good to be true, claiming you have the power to make use of the Melodies, to repair the world… I will trust you until you give me cause not to. Maya, send word to my father. We will work best in a small group, so, Eve, have a soldier you trust take your duties for the time being. Hina, well… I don't need to tell you what to do. And Aya…"_

_The princess rose from her throne, and walked up towards her, slowly, her eyes never moving away from Aya. The two stood before one another, and, perplexingly, what caught Aya's attention more than anything else was Chisato's scent. That was not how Aya had imagined a princess should smell; her head was filled with flowers and perfume, but now what she felt was the pleasant scent of black tea._

"_I will put my faith in you," she said, at last. "Let us bring back our Melodies, let us restore what we've lost. Together."_

* * *

They came from north and south with only minutes between them, so as she tended to her garden (the calendulas were growing marvellously, Arisa noted with pride) she watched the village divide its attention; some went north to greet the merchants who'd just arrived, their eyes full of curiosity; others headed south, near the road, a portion of the village less occupied, and Arisa didn't even need to look to know that Aya had returned. Everyone who lived here learned to avoid the southern side of the village, past Arisa's garden. It was an ugly place, where one could see the barren lands beyond, and know that there was nothing but empty space standing between this village and the horrors that left the Deadlands to enter what remained of Coloratus.

Arisa set aside her gloves and shears, and placed the herbs she collected on a small vial, and stored it on her buckled belt. Some of its leather had worn out over the year, Arisa noticed. Soon she would need to purchase another one, but each time Rimi arrived with her caravan, her prices were higher, almost too high for such a miserable village, one that didn't even have a name. It might be that, with the turn of the year, the caravan would not return at all. It was a harsh journey from the heart of Suilen to the countryside of Coloratus, fraught with peril, from bandits to monsters to the weather. All that for a few coppers and the goods a small village could produce made for very poor business; if not for Rimi's fondness for Arisa, it was doubtful they would even travel this far at all.

It was Rimi she should meet first, she knew that. It was her kindness that helped this village survive for so long, so far from the world and so close to the Deadlands. And yet it was remembering this kindness that reignited Arisa's hatred and her rage. That her scorn would be rewarded with help and love only made it burn more fiercely. Not only Rimi, but Kasumi, Saya, Tae… None of them had done anything to harm her, so when she paid their tenderness with spite and they continued to love her even as she turned her back on them, she only felt even more vile.

She had decided, then, closing the door of her little wooden fence, that she would treat Rimi like dirt. She could not explain that whim, nor did she care to. She also didn't care that it only made her guilt feel more intense, that it made her hate herself. _Let her hate me, let them all hate me_, she thought, ruefully, as she made her way towards Aya, not even looking Rimi in the face, _until at last they forget me._

It wasn't easy to reach Aya; Arisa had miscounted just how many people had approached the merchants, because she saw now that almost the entire village huddled around Aya. She moved past them, roughly shoving them aside, a gesture that nearly got her hurt, given her frailty. When she faced Aya, she saw droopy, tired eyes. Only afterwards did she take notice of what was on her hands. She hadn't seen a color so vivid since she left Suilen and her friends behind, nor had she seen the runes shining gold upon the jewel.

"You did it," Arisa said. Aya only nodded, and when she forced herself to smile, the happiness didn't reach those exhausted eyes of hers. "I figured you'd be far more pleased with yourself. Thought you'd want to rub it on my face, for doubting you."

"I'm tired, is all," Aya said, an unconvincing lie. "Don't look at me like that. I just need to get some rest. Come, let's go home. I'll lay down for a while, and you'll brew me something nice, how about that?"

"Fine, fine," Arisa played along, then turned to sneer at the rabble. "Come on, you leisurely curs, scram! Gossipy lackwits, the whole pack of you. Go, go tend to your work, leave the poor girl alone."

Groaning, they did as they were bid. One of the advantages of being the only person in the village who was literate and who knew how to work a mortar and pestle without brewing a vomit stew or poison was that no matter how callously she acted, the unwashed masses had to tolerate her, because she was the only thing standing between them and the shittingpox.

"So," she said to Aya once the crowds were gone, "you want something to sleep, or just something for the nerves? It might help me if you tell me what exactly it is that's troubling you."

"I told you," the fool insisted, "I'm just tired."

"I've seen you tired before," Arisa told her. "We were talking, and mid-sentence you simply collapsed on my bed and there was nothing I could do to get you out," though that was most likely because of Arisa's pathetic physical state. "That's not how you look now. You look down."

"Just give me something to sleep," said Aya. "Do you have anywhere safe to store the Melody?"

"Oh, sure, let me get my safe and guards," she snapped. "It's not getting any safer than my cabinet, I'll tell you that. This is not exactly a castle, you know."

"Just somewhere I can keep it," said Aya. "Weird. It's not making any sounds anymore. It called to me with a gentle song, but now it's silent… Yet I still feel the magic inside it. And the warmth…"

"Yeah, yeah," Arisa shrugged. "So long as this thing doesn't blow up in the middle of the night you can do whatever. I don't trust this magic, you know."

"You trust me," Aya said. "What do you think my singing is?"

"Th-That's different," Arisa looked away, and at once she came to regret it, because Rimi was standing right in front of her. "R-Rimi. Hi. I didn't notice you'd arrived."

"Nice to see you, Arisa," Rimi smiled so gently that it was vexing. "You appear well. I've noticed your garden has been growing healthy. That's impressive, in this land."

"Yes, well, I've never been one to give up because something is difficult," she said. "True, crops don't take to this soil with ease, but you only need care. Anyways, er… You haven't met Aya, have you?" She shook her hand. "Well, now you have. Aya, meet Rimi. Rimi, meet Aya. There, all done."

"Arisa told me about you," Aya told Rimi, and Arisa had to hold back the urge to tell her to shut up and die.

"Good things, I hope!"

"Oh, of course, what else? I only say good things. As if any rude words could ever pass these lips," Arisa said, thinking of the time Tae had told her that if she bit her tongue, the poison would kill her. "Anyways, you look, uh…"

She wanted to return the compliment, but the truth was that Rimi looked like someone took a shit on her. Her hair was not only a mess, but its black was spotty with the brown of mud and twigs and the green of leaves, ugly colors that reminded Arisa of something the butcher's boy had retched out after having a bad reaction to one of Arisa's medicines. And there were cuts on her cheek; fresh ones, recently opened, no more than three days ago.

"Bad? Yeah. We were attacked," Rimi said. Arisa tried to hide her concern. Come to think of it, the caravan was smaller than usual. Only two wagons, and only four people to help Rimi. Some must have been lost on the way. "Just before we left Suilen, near the border. The brigands are growing bolder, and more organized."

"Of course they're bold," said Aya. "They know none of the kingdoms will do anything to stop them, not when they care only about fighting each other."

"They came disguised as merchants," said Rimi. "But it was swords they pulled out of their wains. We lost them in the middle of the woods, but we lost half our wagons. I guess they figured it wasn't worth the trouble to pursue us, when they had already reaped such a plentiful bounty."

"The Mitake girl's band, from the sound of it," Arisa said. "Suilen and Coloratus are their preying ground, and one can only wonder why it is they don't go make a nuisance at the Rosenreich instead."

"All the same," Rimi continued, "that was only our first scare. Just now, when we were nearing the village, we saw wagons, but they did not belong to traders, as we're the only ones making this route. And the smoke, the smell… You could feel the stench of death from afar. We figured there might be bandits nearby, but we've reached the village safely."

"A battle?" Aya asked, suddenly interested. "I suppose we're not so far from the Rosenreich's borders, but you'd think the people here would have noticed if a detachment from Coloratus was nearby. Arisa, did you see anything?"

"I heard some noises last night," she shrugged, "but they were no worse than what we typically hear. Coloratus never sends troops here, though, not to my knowledge."

"Did you look closely?" Aya asked. "We should investigate. We should see if there are any survivors, perhaps…"

"You mean _you _should investigate," Arisa said. "I'm not going anywhere near a battlefield. And, besides, it's easy for you to talk about looking for survivors when you're not the one who's gonna have to stitch them up and heal them."

"Come on, Arisa," Aya said. Arisa _hated _it when she talked like this, and the worst thing was that she suddenly didn't act tired at all, anymore. When something came up that offered her the opportunity to be nosy, Aya was always full of energy, no matter what. "We can't just leave someone there to die. And maybe there's stuff to find. We all know you're a bloody hoarder, that basement of yours looks like a warehouse. And you're curious, aren't you? Why were there soldiers so close to here? For the sake of safety, we should try to find out."

Aya had a way of frustrating Arisa enough to make her stop resisting. Though Arisa mouthed off at her, enumerated a dozen reasons why this was a stupid idea, and insisted that she was about to turn back, before she knew it she had reached the outskirts of the village alongside Aya and Rimi. And soon she could see the smoke in the distance; moments later, she smelled death, and covered her nose. Past thorn bushes and dark burrows they found the gruesome sights that had terrified Rimi: as she said, wagons, still burning, and corpses scattered around.

They died quickly, at least, which was the closest thing to comfort Arisa could find in death. Wounds through their chests, likely spears. She saw no trace of blood but for that which pooled beneath the dead, so no one had languished as they bled out.

"They're all gone," Arisa said. "Can we turn back now? I don't like the sight of this… Is there even anything in the wagons?"

Aya walked up to one of the fallen wains, and pulled off its cloth. Inside, only metal and pieces of armor. They did not make a set; there were dozens of gauntlets, almost as many boots, but only three helmets and a single set of chest armor. And all of it burned, twisted from the fires that consumed them. Arisa urged Aya to stay away, as it would be overly hot, and she didn't feel like treating burn wounds today.

"The fire seems to have taken everything," Rimi said. "But why? Armor is a precious thing, a full suit of plate goes for at least six hundred silvers, and those are the cruddy ones. These look castle-forged…"

"Look," Aya pointed out at somewhere just behind a grassy knoll, where the smoke was less intense. She ran towards it, and Arisa struggled to follow. By the time she reached her, she was panting; her body was not made for sprinting. "There's more here."

Indeed, another wagon burned there, but Arisa couldn't see any dead. This must have been the first wagon to be abandoned, when this caravan was attacked. Still, Arisa could not understand what they were doing here. The tracks of their wheels showed that they had come from the east, from the Rosenreich. But they brought only armor… Even more enigmatic was why anyone would destroy such a treasure. An opposing army would surely want to confiscate the armor, and brigands were always looking for equipment.

On the dry grass, next to embers that were dying down, a suit of armor lay. It was not in pieces, like the rest. In fact, save for a few dents on the legs, it wasn't damaged at all. It was not merely a suit of armor, Arisa realized. It was properly adjusted, all the pieces joined. Someone was wearing it. Despite her best judgment, Arisa approached the armor, and poked at it. It remained still, so whoever was inside was dead, or dying. It was curious armor, too. It was a faint red, closer to pink, and it was carefully worked. Even in Suilen Arisa rarely saw armor this ornate, the shoulder pads engraved with such elaborate patterns on the steel that whoever forged this must have cared for this armor. The most curious thing, by far, was the helmet. It was shaped like a bear's head, or at least what Arisa thought a bear should look like. She certainly had never seen one. As far as she could tell, this was not the sigil of any noble house she knew from any of the kingdoms, so its meaning was a mystery to her.

With help from Rimi, she removed the left gauntlet, intending to undress this poor bastard and check for vital signs. But there was no one inside. When they removed the gauntlet, inside was only darkness. Arisa rose, confused. Armor only looked like this when it was worn, she knew that well enough. She had seen squires in Suilen help knights get outfitted for battle, she could tell when it was empty or not.

"Odd," Aya said what Arisa was only thinking. "Very odd."

"Good steel, though," said Arisa. "Well, we both found it, together, so you can keep half, and I'll keep the other," she turned to Rimi. "Might melt down my half, if I ever leave this place and go to a city again-"

Something hard gripped at her wrist. _Rimi_, she thought, annoyed, and meant to tell her to stop scaring her… But Rimi was standing right next to her. Arisa looked back, and saw that it was a metal hand that held her. Fear took her words from her, but if she could speak, she would have yelled _what the fuck_?

"Uhm…" A voice came from the bear's head. It was a girl's voice. "Could I have my hand back, please?" It was all so absurd that Arisa found herself handing the _thing _what it requested. "Thanks. You, uh. You shouldn't melt me down. I'd appreciate it," still, Arisa said nothing. Even Aya, ever bold, had stepped away from the suit of armor as it rose to its feet, so only Rimi stood before it without panicking. "I get it. I know it's weird. Quite a shock to see a suit of armor speak. Not the kind of introduction I like to make, but I guess it can't be helped. The name's Misaki," politely, she extended her hand, and shook Rimi's. "Now, I hope you don't mind me asking, when I'm sure you're full of questions but, uhm… Where the hell am I?"

* * *

**_A note on characters' ages: the fic has some backstory that necessitates the characters to be older (because otherwise they would be too young to have complex histories together). I don't define the ages exactly but the characters are about six years older than their canon selves, so in their early twenties. _**


	2. Lost Melody

Arisa set a plate of hard bread, some ham and four cups of tea on the table, and only when she had gone through the trouble of boiling water and picking up the sweetest herbs in her garden did Misaki see fit to inform her that she could not drink tea, or eat at all. Curiously, though the girl of course had no expression, her face only a steel helmet shaped like a bear's head, Arisa couldn't help but get the impression that Misaki was judging her when she said she couldn't drink. The notion annoyed Arisa: she was smart enough to have figured it out in the first place, _obviously_, but she was always polite to guests in her home. It was what she was taught to do, from birth. A countess of the kingdom of Suilen had to be the very portrait of courtesy and daintiness, and while she rarely saw the need to be polite to the rabble of this village, a lady's house, no matter how humble, was her castle, and Arisa had not forgotten her lessons.

They were the only thing keeping her from tossing the tea right on Misaki's face. Instead she sat down, facing Rimi, and with delicate movements she began to sip her tea. _Delectable_, she thought, proud of her own skill. Such fine tea should not be wasted on those who didn't know how to appreciate it, in truth, but at least Aya had the decency to pretend to enjoy it. Just that already made her far better company than Kasumi and Tae. Arisa bit her lip.

"It's really good," Rimi lied, trying to bite into a loaf of bread so hard it could double as a weapon of war. "It takes me back to when we'd eat together, remember?"

"No," she said brusquely, then turned to Misaki. "So… Mind explaining what the hell you were doing in that wagon?"

"Well, I could go back and ask the people who were guarding the wagons, but the dead aren't overly fond of conversation," she said, sounding more bored than anything. "Listen, I have no idea how the hell I happened to arrive just some hundred meters away from some nameless village in an isolated, miserable province of Coloratus. No offense meant."

"It's alright," Aya said.

"This really is a shithole, yeah," Arisa grumbled. "Were you… Always like this?"

"I sure hope not!" Misaki said, a bit too loud. "I don't remember much of what happened before I was, well, like this. Sorry. But I guess we're all used to forgetting about the world before the Silence so you can understand how much of a pain this is."

"So you remember the Silence…" Rimi pointed out, before she took a long and indelicate gulp of tea to wash the bread down. "You haven't forgotten everything from before you were… Sorry, I don't even know how to refer to it. You were a person, right?"

"I still _am_," Misaki seemed offended. "I understand what you mean though. I remember being human, like you. It doesn't even feel _that _distant. I…" With her body being just a suit of armor, it was her voice that carried her emotions, so Arisa paid attention to her tone. "I remember only bits of it. I remember voices and words, but can't piece together who might have said them. I remember images, colors once familiar, but I cannot reach past that surface. I don't know how I became _this_, but I know for certain that I was human. I remember the feeling of being human, I remember how wind felt on my bare skin, I remember the weight of my hair on my back, and I remember the taste of food. But no more."

"I know how that feels," Aya said. She always did this, Arisa had noticed. She always had something to add, always found a way to make it all about herself, her Voice, her mission. In that she was not unlike Kasumi. "I remember feelings of the world before the Silence, I remember what music made me feel, even if I cannot remember it very well. It hurts to feel like you're so close to that which you've forgotten, the feeling that you only need to think a little bit harder, to reach out a little bit further…"

"Exactly," said Misaki. "It is quite aggravating. I don't remember music, though. That much is lost on me, so I must have forgotten it alongside everyone, which in turn leads me to be reasonably certain that I was human up until a little while ago."

"That doesn't really narrow things down, does it?" Arisa grumbled. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. You don't need food, you don't need water, so you're not a burden, at least."

"That lifts my spirits."

"Can you sleep?" Rimi asked, suddenly curious, almost bumping her forehead on Misaki's armor when she leaned closer.

"Uh? I don't know if I'd call it sleep. I don't tire, at least not physically, so I'm not sure if it actually does anything to me, but while I was in the wagon, being carried somewhere I couldn't see, it was pretty boring, there in the dark, and it was really hard to move, so I spent a lot of time just… Turning off my mind?"

"So you really don't know anything," said Aya. "Just as you said. How very strange. It's magic that did this to you, it has to be, but how, and why?"

"Does it matter?" Arisa shrugged. "We don't know how to undo it, and, besides, why should we? This really sounds like a lot of trouble, and I like to avoid trouble when I can."

"And yet you've accepted me into your house," said Aya. "Because of my songs, I know, but still… Misaki is lost, and has nowhere to go, so why can't she stay here?"

"Because she was being carried by a dozen armed soldiers," Arisa said. She wished Aya would actually bother thinking before doing a good deed, for once. For someone who thought it was her fated duty to save the world, she didn't value her life very much. "When they don't reach their destination, where do you think they'll come to investigate? We don't even know who it was that cared so much about those suits of armor to transport them like that. And yet you're so eager to jump into something you don't understand, just to help someone."

"Just like-" Rimi began, but Arisa didn't let her finish. She had heard this enough.

"Fine," Arisa said. "But if someone decides to burn down this village, I swear I'll be there to tell them where you are, and then I'll flee. Not everyone is made for heroics. You should understand that, before you start involving other people. You just decided to help Misaki without even consulting the rest of the village to see what the folk here have to say. Did you even think about that?" From the guilty look on her face, it was obvious she had not.

"Listen, if it's _so _inconvenient for me to stay here," Arisa still didn't like the way Misaki spoke. "Then I'll just… Find somewhere else to go."

"You can come with us," said Rimi. "We'll be going back to Hanasakigawa in a few days, once we're done trading and resupplying. You'd be more than welcome there, and, well, not to sound exploitative but we _did _lose some of our guards and you look pretty sturdy. The road _is _full of bandits…"

"And worse," Aya remarked. "I'm sorry there's not much I can do to help you, Misaki. If I could help you remember, I would, but…" She paused. "Unless I sang to you, I suppose… Who knows? It might help you remember something. If nothing else, it'll make you feel better."

So Aya was offering Misaki her songs for free. Arisa felt cheated, right now; when Aya first arrived here, starving and almost dying in her foolish hunt for a Melody in the Deadlands, Arisa nursed her back to health, and offered her to stay with her, all in exchange of her song. In truth, Arisa had said it in a whim, because she refused to allow Aya to think she was being generous. By making it an exchange, she convinced herself that it was not kindness that led her to save that strange traveller.

Their paltry meal finished in silence after that, a quiet so awkward that Arisa wanted to get up and walk away, but the host should be the last person to depart from a gathering, even one she did not wish to be part of in the first place. Politely, she took the plates and teacups one by one, and didn't even say anything about the crumbs Aya and Rimi left all over the tablecloth. Aya and Misaki left the house, together, no doubt to talk more about their foolish ideas. Arisa left them to their own concerns; ignoring Rimi, she walked up to a bucket on the corner of her home, and there she placed her woodenware; a far cry from the silver she knew in Suilen, and here she did not even have soap, either, not unless Rimi brought something, and this time she hadn't. At least she didn't lick her spoons clean like she had seen some of the folk do. Arisa nearly dropped a wooden bowl on the floor when she realized she was actually missing her home. She tried to avoid thinking of Suilen when she could, because that was the only place in the world she hated more than this miserable village. But with Rimi here, she couldn't help it. Rimi always came back, and never gave up on her.

"Want help?" Rimi asked.

"With what?" Arisa blurted out. "Sometimes I feel stupid for even bothering to wash dishes, since the river nearby isn't exactly clean. Someday I'm gonna catch some horrible disease, and then they'll burn my body and that'll be the end of me. Hooray."

"You're not exactly good at keeping a low profile, did you know that?" Rimi said. "If you're trying to hide from everyone that you're of noble birth, you should stop sneering at everyone and looking so disgusted all the time. Someone who grew up in a small isolated village wouldn't look like she's about to throw up when cleaning a plate."

"Nobody has noticed so far," she shrugged. "I never gave Aya my last name, so she never had a reason to wonder who I might be, not when she has more important things to worry about, like the salvation of the world, and all that nonsense. As for the rest of the people here… They don't really care so long as I keep them from dying from dysentery. Besides, what the hell would they even know about the nobility of Suilen? News travel slowly, and mostly they arrive only when you bring them. Most of the people here wouldn't be able to name the queen of Reverie, and it wasn't until last year that they learned that the Minato bitch claimed rulership over the Rosenreich. Do you think the name _Ichigaya _would mean anything to some commoner that didn't wipe his ass in months?"

"Arisa," Rimi was suddenly serious. Arisa was already annoyed by it. "You clearly hate this place. You can't even pretend to smile, and you don't hide your disdain for everyone. So why do you stay here? Is it because of-"

"You know damn well why," Arisa said. She didn't mean to yell, but when she did, she was too proud to apologize for it. "I hate this place, but at least I'm here because _I _chose to, understand? It's _my _decision, and if I need to wallow in peasant filth for the rest of my days for the sake of spiting you all, then I will."

"What happened to you, Arisa?" Rimi spoke softly now. She sounded hurt, and knowing that _she _was the cause for that pain only made her want to hurt her even more, so that she could continue to run away and refuse to acknowledge all she had done wrong. "You were sometimes difficult, but you were never like _this_."

"Like _this_?" She spat out her words. "What's that supposed to mean? You're implying I'm not a good person because I decided my life was too valuable to throw it away by going along with your stupidity? It's all Tae's fault, and you should have known better than to give her ideas any credit. She's gonna be the death of you, her and that freak friend of yours. Put her down and end her misery."

"You can't be serious."

"People aren't meant to live like that," Arisa said, as casually as she could, knowing that would drive the knife deeper into Rimi. "Once they start turning into monsters, there's no going back. They're not humans anymore, really, no matter what you tell yourselves. I get it, I understand Tae wishes her friend could be herself again, but she won't be. You need to make her understand that. Kill the girl."

"Do you mean the words you're saying," Rimi said in a tone that Arisa had never heard before, "or are you just lashing out because you're guilty and afraid? You don't have to be afraid, Arisa. If you come back to us, if you help us-"

"Get the fuck out of my house," Arisa said, and came to regret the words as soon as they were on the tip of her tongue. But she was not one to back down. She was not one to ask for forgiveness. "You don't have to come back. I don't want to see you again, I don't want to hear about you again, or Tae, or Saya, or, or…" She didn't want to say the name. "Please. I can't bear this."

She didn't look back to see Rimi walk away. She thought she heard her cry, and tried to make herself feel happy about it, satisfied with her words. But only guilt came. She looked out through her window, and shuddered when she saw the sun still shining, dusk still hours away. She wanted it to be dark, she wanted to sleep. Arisa looked for her potions in her termite-ridden cabinet, something that would make her sleep dreamlessly. There was too much in her mind, all the time, and she wanted only to silence those thoughts. Silence… She thought of Aya, and her song. It was a simple song, nowhere near as dear to Arisa as Kasumi's, but it was _something_. It offered her a glimpse of feelings she no longer could name nor feel on her own.

She did not deserve it. She thought about that idiot, Kasumi, the stupidest person Arisa had ever met, because it took a tremendous fool to think Arisa was worth loving, someone to share a song with. Or perhaps it was Arisa who was the greater fool for throwing that away.

She closed her cabinet door. For an instant she turned back, and knew Rimi had not yet left. She would remain in the village for a day. Arisa could still apologize. She could say she didn't mean all the things she said, but she herself wasn't entirely sure if that was true. Instead she bit her tongue and retreated into the darkness.

* * *

_She leaned her weary head on Saya's shoulder, and closed her eyes. Truth was, it didn't make much of a difference: the crypt was already dark, and even Kasumi's light wasn't a great help. Arisa could only see what was directly in front of her, and all else was a void._

_Except, of course, for the wurm's immense carcass. Even in this poor light, the _thing _dominated its surroundings. Not that much remained of those surroundings. In its death throes, the creature brought down much of the crypt, and it was only luck that saved Arisa from being crushed by debris._

_Well, luck and Tae. Arisa lagged behind the other four when the stones started collapse on them, limping, her legs badly bruised, likely broken. Tae took her by the hand, and pulled Arisa towards her embrace, using her body to shield her from the smaller bits of rubble. Now, in that devastation, they rested, tried to catch their breath; not that Kasumi ever knew what it was like to rest. Arisa opened her eyes, and saw that Kasumi stared at the Melody in her hands, enthralled, and smiled in her typical goofy fashion. _

_By all standards, it would be considered an unsightly smile. Kasumi was always dirty, and while that much was hardly out of the ordinary for someone of common birth like her, her missing teeth were not so justifiable. Most worrisome was that each lost teeth had its own story. She lost a fang when Hanasakigawa was attacked by brigands, and in her attempts to defend her home she walked into a door. She lost both lower incisors in battle, though they were separate occasions. Arisa had been there when she lost the second one, in fact. Kasumi was just talking to her, relieved to have slain the brambletusk that guarded a Melody near Gaiendell, and she just spat blood and a tooth on Arisa's face. An ugly, toothless smile… _

_Arisa had never said it to Kasumi, but she found it a most charming smile. Of course, a noblewoman could never marry a commoner, so there could never be anything between them, but there was nothing stopping Arisa from indulging herself in the earnestness of that grin._

"_We have six Melodies now," Kasumi said, awfully proud. "And you said we couldn't do it, Arisa."_

"_I said _you _couldn't do it," she grumbled, getting up. "You would have just gotten yourself killed if I had not accompanied you. You and Tae owe a lot to Rimi, Saya and I."_

"_Ohoho," Kasumi gave Arisa a look that would be enough cause for a noble to poke out the eyes of a commoner in most of the world. "Did I hear you admit that you care about us?"_

"_I always knew you cared, Arisa," Tae said, overwhelmingly sincere, seemingly about to cry. She was not one to recognize Kasumi's teasing, which sometimes disturbed Arisa, for the notion that there was someone who was too stupid to understand _Kasumi _was horrifying. "I don't save people I don't care about."_

"_Whatever," Arisa shrugged. She would not be dragged down to their level. "I don't like staying here. When are we leaving?"_

"_Arisa," Rimi said, gently, "you're out of breath. You're limping. Why are you in such a hurry?"_

_Was Rimi implying that they were waiting for her? Arisa didn't know how to feel about it. She did not want to be a burden, because burdens depended on the kindness of others, and Arisa refused to ever admit she needed anyone, much less living disasters like Kasumi and Tae. And yet she was glad that they waited. How pitifully sentimental… Briefly she considered raising her voice and saying that, if they were waiting for her, it was only proper that common folk should attend those of noble blood, but they should at least _ask _what she desires. She felt the poison on the tip of her tongue._

"_I didn't realize you were waiting for my sake," was what she said instead. She didn't look in anyone's eyes when she said it. "Thank you. But I'll be okay. I just don't like this place. A crypt… Before the Silence, House Nyubara would bury its dead here. I'd rather not linger here."_

"_I don't think we'll find wights here," said Saya. "I mean, necromancy is kind of a Rosenreich thing…"_

"_All the same, I'd rather return to Hanasakigawa as soon as possible," she insisted. "Six Melodies… It only hit me now, how far we've come. I think we can try to bring sound to the Silence. We have enough Melodies to attempt the spell we've considered. You think we can do it, Kasumi?"_

"_I really don't know," she said, which was just as Arisa had expected. "We'll need the queen's cooperation, she has plenty of Melodies. But while war is raging, I'm not sure what we can accomplish. The Rosenreich and Coloratus won't share their Melodies, even though the world depends on it, but maybe Reverie would-"_

"_Probably not," Rimi interrupted her. "Depending on the Mad Queen's whims is uncertain at best. I don't know, Kasumi… We should just continue to seek the Melodies on our own. To end the Silence we'll need a lot, so I understand why you're looking elsewhere for help, but the Melodies _are _the reason we've known only war since the Silence. Let's start small, alright? Arisa has the right of it. We should save Suilen first. Restore our home."_

_Kasumi would have none of it, of course. She was not one for small measures, and would not rest at merely making some parts of the world better, restoring the memory of music to a few people. She had saved them all already; Arisa, Tae, Rimi, Saya, it was Kasumi's Voice of Stars that helped them remember music. But that was not enough: it was the world that Kasumi meant to save, and everyone in it._

_Sighing, Arisa said it was time to go. Though she limped, Kasumi supported her, smiling all the while. Arisa couldn't help herself, so she smiled back, a gesture that only made Kasumi's embarrassing grin even wider. Kasumi Toyama, savior of the world… That sounded so funny, and yet Arisa found herself actually believing it to be possible. She would like to see it. She wanted to be by Kasumi's side when the world knew music once again._

* * *

"You really think this is the place?"

"I don't think, Himari," said Moca, and Himari could not argue with that, "I know. It has to be here."

Himari didn't bother arguing. Discussing with Moca was like yelling at a wall, but even less helpful. And a wall was less unpredictable, too; while Ran was occupied with some business in Suilen, Himari was entrusted with command of this mission, though Moca and Tomoe were more than happy to interpret orders as suggestions, and instead did as they found best. Because of that, they had only known disaster since they entered the Deadlands. First, Tomoe and Moca weren't around, as they were scouting ahead, so a pack of scalewolves attacked the band from behind, killing three of the twelve footmen they'd left the hideout with. Two more disappeared in the middle of the night, either devoured or, if they were daring enough, they fled.

And then there was Tomoe's suggestion of taking a shortcut that only made them lose precious time. _It'll be faster if we go around the forest_, she said, and Himari felt bad to contradict her, knowing Tomoe prided herself on her skill as a pathfinder. _You know how they call the forests of the Deadlands in Suilen, _she said, as if she was repeating some ancient wisdom. Himari didn't really see the point in taking the long route around the forest, even though from afar it _did _look like a tangle of bones. Avoiding dangers in the Deadlands was an absurd notion; the only way to stay clear from peril was to do the smart thing and not enter the Deadlands. Still, Himari took all that in stride. Moca and Tomoe were her friends, after all, despite their willful selves, and she was proud that Ran trusted her enough to delegate such an important task to her.

That was why she damn near punched a hole into a wall when, after spending the entire day scouring Caerulium, they couldn't find a trace of the fucking Melody. Moca told her to calm down, that they would continue to find it, and indeed they found footsteps in the dust. They'd slain most of the monsters in Caerulium, and Tomoe extracted a shard of the fang of a huge serpent, saying Tsugumi might be able to make a weapon out of it. Himari wasn't sure Tsugumi even knew how to do that, but they had all grown quite comfortable with asking Tsugumi for whatever they needed. Too bad she wasn't here now. Maybe they'd have listened to her.

They followed the tracks towards the north, until they returned to Coloratus, or at least the part of it that wasn't completely destroyed, but only mostly ruined. It wasn't long before they reached a miserable little hamlet, unlikely to be the home of more than a hundred or so mud farmers, or whatever it was that peasants sustained themselves with. Himari didn't know much about villages save for setting them ablaze during raids. She tried to wait and let people leave their hovels first, though, which, in her mind, made her better than just about every other brigand out there, as well as better than the armies of the four great kingdoms.

"The tracks end around here," Moca whispered. They were distant enough from the village that, in the dark, they were unlikely to be found, hidden behind tall thorn brushes and withered trees, but Moca had at least a little bit of good sense and caution. "The Melody wouldn't disappear on its own, and the tracks were fresh, so we weren't late by very long. This village is not too far from the Deadlands, so I'm almost certain that whoever took the Melody must be here. It's the first place we've found going north, and after journeying through the Deadlands, even such a place would look inviting for a brief rest."

That made enough sense, Himari had to admit. And, besides, if the Melody wasn't here, they could at least walk away with some plunder, so they would not go back to the hideout empty-handed… Not that it would prevent them from getting chewed out by Ran. But despite her demeanor, Ran would never punish them. She wasn't one for discipline, so it wasn't Ran they should be worried about.

"Let's go," Tomoe said, and Himari just repeated her, so that she could still believe she was in charge. Tomoe absent-mindedly spun her spear around as she approached the village, while Himari kept her axe close to her, well-aware that whoever had taken the Melody that should be theirs was likely to be a fearsome combatant.

Or _combatants_. That was the worst-case scenario, if this turned into an actual fight. They had seven other soldiers alongside them, armed with clubs and spears and bows, which should be more than enough to deal with any situation save an actual skirmish with Coloratus' legions, but she couldn't help but wish they had better numbers, as they didn't know what they were dealing with. It was always a frightening thing, to Himari, to realize that _she _had to play the responsible one. Usually that duty fell upon Ran or Tsugumi, but Tomoe and Moca were something else. They started to run towards the village, weapons bared, so Himari gave the other soldiers the command to charge, and yelled a battle cry that got drowned out by Tomoe's scream.

Figures began to pour out of their homes. Himari gave them no time to figure out what was going on, and sent her lackeys to round up everyone at the heart of the village. To their credit, nobody really protested. Presumably they had gotten used to dealing with brigands. They might not even need to burn anything down, unless of course Tomoe decided that might be fun.

Torches lit up the gathered villagers, casting a fierce orange on frightened faces. Himari saw no weapons in their hands, which was always something she was glad for. It made her job that much easier. She raised her voice, and began to sound her commands:

"You're hiding a Melody here," she began, and looked at all the frozen faces in front of her, paying attention to any possible reaction, "we know you are. Now, I don't know which one of you is doing that, but _you _know. Someone who arrived recently, maybe just yesterday. Earlier today, even?"

There was knowledge in their eyes. Himari smiled. They understood what she was talking about, and though at first they looked around, disoriented, there was a girl among them who was more restless than the others. Himari told Tomoe to pull her closer. Her long blonde hair ended in curls too beautiful to belong to a commoner who spent their entire life in a place like this. Tomoe dragged her from the crowd, unkindly, and the woman grumbled as she was pulled by the arm.

"You look out of place, missy," said Moca. "You're awfully quiet, too. You don't need to be afraid. Just tell us what you know about the Melody and we'll leave you in peace. We're feeling very generous, so we won't even pillage anything tonight."

"'Course, if you hide the Melody from us," Tomoe said, casually resting her back against a merchant cart, "we'll have to start burning shit."

"You won't like burning my house," said Arisa. "I'm an alchemist. If you set a fire there, carelessly, you'll choke on toxic fumes. Would be a lame way to die."

"You're a noblewoman," Himari understood, then. "Not many villagers look this pretty, with such silky hair, and they certainly aren't literate enough to study alchemy. Besides, only someone who's used to looking down on everyone else would react with annoyance when being threatened. So… What's your name?"

"Arisa."

"Arisa _what_?" Himari couldn't stand her attitude. She was being aggravating on purpose. "You know what? Fine. Keep your secret, it doesn't matter to us. Your ransom isn't worth nearly as much as the Melody, so you'll hand it over to us and we'll be on our way."

"I don't know where it is."

Tomoe sighed. Things would soon get out of control, Himari realized. Her words meant nothing to the fool in front of her, who seemed eager to die. Of course, she might be telling the truth, she really might not know, which would be rather unfortunate, but Himari doubted it. Few people would be able to locate a Melody, and this Arisa looked exactly like the sort that would. A studious kind, of high birth, perhaps staying in this isolated village because of its proximity to the Deadlands? That had to be it.

"I take it you don't realize the gravity of the situation," Tomoe said, pointing the tip of her spear at Arisa. "That's the thing with nobility, I guess, how you never seem to realize that you die just like anybody else. I'd know. I'm Tomoe Udagawa. You must know the name, right? Nobility knows nobility."

"The _disgraced_ Tomoe Udagawa," Arisa said, still defiant. "That name doesn't mean much anymore, not after your little failed rebellion. You're Mitake's band. A rabble of exiles, acting like your noble origins make you better than a bunch of thugs."

"You really have a death wish," Tomoe said, smiling, "which I can grant to you, and I won't lose any sleep over it, but if I can keep my spear clean of peasant blood, I'd appreciate it. Give us the Melody, and we won't kill anyone else but you. Deal?"

"I already told you," she insisted. "I don't know why you think there's a Melody here, and even if there was, I wouldn't give anything so precious to thugs like you. Just walk away. There's nothing for you here. These people are just trying to live their lives, so leave them alone. If you want a Melody, go plunder Albioturris. Queen Chisato has plenty of Melodies, or perhaps you're too afraid to pick a fight with actual soldiers instead of emaciated farmers?"

"Fine. Die."

"Wait," a voice called out from the crowd just as Tomoe was about to thrust her spear into Arisa's belly. She stopped. A pink-haired woman approached them, but something about her struck Himari as unusual. She did not look like someone who could make it to the Deadlands and survive, but she didn't look like a villager ratting someone out, either. "I have the Melody. I was the one who took it from Caerulium."

"Really?" Moca asked. "Well, you know the name of the place, so I see no reason to doubt you. We were only slightly late, you know, if we had set out a few hours earlier you would have been the one to disappointingly find only dust and stone. Well, give it to us, and we'll even forgive your impolite friend."

"Don't call me Aya's friend," Arisa blurted out.

"It's in Arisa's house," she pointed at a nondescript building, as plain as all the others, frail wood with thatched roofs. "You'll find it underneath one of the beds. Just don't hurt anyone, please."

"We won't," Himari promised. It _was _tempting to break that deal, considering the merchant wains just some meters away, their plunder ripe for the taking, but Himari liked to believe she still had _some _standards. "You," she called one of her flunkies, an eager man who had just recently joined their band, a deserter from Suilen's armies. "Go get the Melody. We'll stay here and make sure no one tries anything funny."

He nodded with enthusiasm, and ran towards Arisa's cottage. Aya and Arisa looked at each other, the former looking almost apologetic for saving the latter from getting skewered. Whatever it was that made her value her life so little, it was none of Himari's business, although her rudeness _did _make her want to at least break her nose. Himari didn't like being reminded of her exile, and Tomoe even less.

_But this will all be worth it. I trust Ran. We'll all go back home._

The lackey she sent was taking a bit too long, Himari noted with annoyance. How hard could it be to search a villager's hut? They were all so small, and these people barely owned anything in the first place. Impatient, Tomoe walked up towards the house, but halted when strange sounds started coming from the house.

Then they became the familiar sound of screams. The man was shoved out through the door, violently, crashing hard on the ground. He did not move after that. From inside the cottage, someone walked out. Clad in armor, she - and Himari could tell it was a woman's armor, when the light of a dozen torches shone against her - stepped closer. She didn't wield a weapon of any kind, but her gauntlets were dark with blood.

"Move," Tomoe commanded. "I know the Melody is there."

"Get through me, then."

"Gladly."

Himari urged her soldiers to give Tomoe backup, because she had a bad habit of throwing herself into battle alone, before any of her allies could join her, and coming out of it with a few more scars. But now that didn't matter at all. It happened so quickly: Tomoe lunged at the woman, and shoved her spear through her chest. Her opponent didn't even make an attempt at moving away, or blocking the hit. She just took it, and stood there. Then, when the spear was firmly stuck inside her, her left hand shot up and took hold of Tomoe's fingers. There was no blood leaking from the hole in her chest, and when Tomoe moved away, the armored woman came closer, keeping her in place.

"What the fuck is this?!" Tomoe shouted, trying to let go of the spear. One of their underlings took an arrow and nocked it, but Himari told her she would just strike Tomoe.

A metal gauntlet smashed against Tomoe's face. Teeth and blood flew all over the trodden grass beneath their feet, and Tomoe collapsed. Himari called out to her, but Tomoe did not respond, nor did she move.

"Leave," the armored woman demanded. "Go back to your masters and I won't kill you all."

As if to punctuate the threat, she removed the spear from her own chest, and threw it at the fallen Tomoe. Himari didn't need to be ordered twice. Hastily she told her soldiers to pick up Tomoe, and to get the hell out of this place. Only Moca lingered, staring with curiosity at the abomination that nearly killed Tomoe. Himari had to drag her away, and they all fled from the village, never once looking back.

What _was _that thing? Though it spoke with a woman's voice, it clearly could not be human. The spear that went through its chest had no trace of blood. Once they were a safe distance away, Himari inspected Tomoe's wounds, and saw that not only had she lost half of her teeth, her hands were broken where the monster had clutched them. Himari understood, then, how a Melody had arrived at a place as miserable as this village.

Not that Ran would accept this excuse. They had lost so much, almost half their men, had wasted so much time, and they had nothing to show for it. But perhaps it was for the best: if they had found the monster in Caerulium, and fought for the Melody, there was no telling how that might have ended. Whether Ran accepted it or not, it didn't matter. Himari wouldn't have risked Tomoe's life like that. And, besides, Ran herself would have a hard time being angry when, at this very moment, she had probably already found the Melody she was seeking in Suilen, under the protection of some feeble noble lady that was unlikely to pose a threat at all.

She caressed Tomoe's hair, and cleaned up the blood around her mouth. Leaning closer, until her lips were nearly touching Tomoe's ear, she whispered, more to herself than anyone else, really:

"It'll be alright. I'll take care of you. We lost this time, but Ran has never led us astray. We'll be going back home, Tomoe. Together, all of us."


	3. Trust

Though all ended well - as well as a bandit raid could end, at least - Aya could not bring herself to sleep, nor Arisa. In the morning, she saw fatigued faces all around the village. If anyone managed to get a decent night of sleep, Aya would be surprised. And though there was no blatant accusation in the stares she saw, Aya couldn't help but blame herself for what had happened. She retreated back into Arisa's home soon enough, unwilling to face anyone else.

There she found Arisa brewing tea, casually, as if she had not nearly died just the past night. Close to her, sitting by the small table, was Misaki, who couldn't stop putting her gauntleted index finger into the hole in her chest. It was a curious thing, to look upon someone whose face revealed nothing, if Misaki could even be said to have a face. If she removed the bear helmet, what would happen to her? Would the rest of her body continue to move, and if so, could she even see? Aya couldn't deny her own curiosity, but she kept the questions to herself. Though it was only her voice that betrayed her feelings, Misaki was troubled by her state.

Aya sat in front of her, and forced herself to smile. Tired as she was, it was difficult, but she did not want to go back to bed. She knew that if she did she would lose the entire day there, and she could not afford that. To her, every day was precious, and she meant to make the most out of each one of them.

Arisa joined them at the table, bringing with her two cups of tea and more of that horrid bread. Aya knew it was absurd, but she found it uncomfortable to see nothing before Misaki, no plate or cup. She had explained that she could not eat or drink, but even so it made for a sad picture, almost like Misaki was being left out. _How absurdly sentimental of me_, Aya thought, trying to convince herself that her feelings were a bad thing. It was precisely sentiment that allowed her to sing, because what was music without strong feelings?

"Will you stop that?" Arisa snapped at Misaki. "Shoving your finger through that hole… What's wrong with you?"

"If you had a hole in the middle of your chest, you'd have a hard time ignoring it, too," she said. If nothing else, Misaki was a match for Arisa's tongue. "Although in your case you'd be bleeding to death."

"It must be quite uncomfortable," Aya said, and when Arisa stared at her like she had just said something moronic, she clarified. "I mean, for Misaki to have a hole like that. Do you… Do you feel it?"

"A little," she said. "What I feel is more the scraping of metal on metal, though. It is unpleasant, but it is also so unlike anything I ever felt before. I'd like to get it repaired, because it's _seriously _distracting, but that might be unadvisable. I don't really know the limits of my body. But I don't feel pain, at least. When the red-haired woman shoved her spear through me… Nothing. It didn't hurt."

"It was gallant of you to step forward like that," said Aya. "You had no obligation to defend us, or the Melody. It's thanks to you that it's still in our hands," she said, making sure to keep it with her at all times now, instead of placing it in a cabinet. "Goodness knows what those bandits had in mind, what they would do with a Melody."

"Gallant is too kind a word," she said, and giggled, the laughter echoing inside her own helmet. "It was just a natural reaction. I can't accept injustice, or suffer those who prey on the helpless. Not that you're helpless, mind you," Misaki added, almost as an apology. "Not when you have the gift you do."

"Little good that would do me against a pack of brigands," Aya sighed. "Still, there is something I don't understand about all this."

"I'm surprised you're able to understand _anything _at all," Arisa said.

"I'm serious. Those were brigands, so how could they possibly know about the Melody?" No one around her had an answer to that. "They didn't know its exact whereabouts, or they wouldn't have rounded up everyone for questioning, they only had a vague idea that they would find it here."

"Well, that's not too difficult," said Arisa. "This is one of the southernmost villages of Coloratus, close to the Deadlands. If you returned from there, this would be one of the first places to seek."

"Yes, that makes enough sense, but it's not what I meant. There are Melodies in places other than the Deadlands, and the Silence has fallen everywhere. There are Melodies lost in the Rosenreich, in Coloratus, and so on… So no, it was not guesswork and luck that brought them here. They _knew _about the Melody in Coloratus. How?"

"The same way you did?" Misaki proposed.

"Well, that's the thing. Melodies are not exactly easy to locate. You need to have an ear for music, and most people do not. Even then, you only hear whispers, distant, with little indication of where to find their source. Before I came here, I spent some months in the Rosenreich, chasing a trail of clues that started in Coloratus. Information about the Deadlands, and about the world before the Silence. It's a long story, but to put it simply, that's how I was able to locate Caerulium, and the Melody there. There are mages whose scrying spells can catch the hint of a Melody, but, again, that's hardly something bandits would be able to do."

"You're overthinking this," Arisa sighed. "Mind you, that's better than your usual refusal to think, but I'm not sure why this matters. It's not like Mitake's band is your usual gang of ruffians, the kind that run around pillaging and burning. They do that too, of course, but rumor has it that Ran Mitake has the gift of the Voice, just like you. Just like…" She hesitated. "Like someone I knew, once."

This was more than Arisa usually mentioned about her life before coming to this village. Aya had learned it was unsafe to pry, lest she caused Arisa's temper to flare, but maybe she was making an effort to open up.

"You called that red-haired girl," Aya tried to remember the name. "Tomoe. Tomoe Udagawa. You said she's an exile, spoke of a failed rebellion… Does that have anything to do with that sordid affair at the Rosenreich, some five years ago?"

"It has everything to do with it," said Arisa. Misaki was leaning closer to them now, which Aya took as a gesture of interest. "She was right to realize that I'm of noble birth last night. I'm a countess of Suilen, or at least I'd be if I hadn't abandoned that fucking place. Naturally, I had to be aware of the political situation not only of my homeland but of the kingdoms surrounding it. Yes, Tomoe was involved in the attempted coup against the Rose Council. Though it would be more accurate to say it was House Udagawa that did so, backing the father of the woman that now sits her pretty ass on the throne. House Mitake, too, supported House Minato, hoping to share power by overthrowing the Council and establishing a monarchy. There were others, too, but that's the boring part. Just a list of names that won't mean anything to you."

"Skip to the relevant part, then," said Misaki.

"Well, they carried out their coup, imprisoning all the members of the Rose Council," Arisa continued, and Aya was fascinated to hear the details she was not aware of. She only heard the basics through Maya, back when they were still companions. "It failed, but you already know that. The councillors were freed by traitors within the rebels, and when the tide began to turn, so too did they turn against one another. The ones who stayed loyal were, for the most part, executed, but the heirs of their Houses were merely exiled, punished more lightly for the crimes of their fathers."

"Though they were part of the plots," Aya added.

"Oh, yes, of course. Ran Mitake was hardly an innocent bystander. Neither was Yukina Minato, for that matter, though she was spared from exile, as well as Tomoe's younger sister. Now, this is something I was told by Queen Chiyu between cups of wine, so it might just be gossip from ill tongues, but the rumor is that Yukina was pardoned because she was one of the traitors who sold out her allies."

"Her own father?" Misaki said in disbelief.

"Like I said, it could be gossip. I never met Yukina. I hope I never do. I don't believe that's the full story, of course, there is truth mixed with lies. Personally, I don't think she did it. I think it's only slander, meant to undermine her image in the realm she rules."

"In the end she succeeded where her father failed," Aya pointed out. "Her own rebellion led her to ascend the throne, and yet she had less allies than her father, only her princesses."

"She didn't commit the mistakes he did," Arisa shrugged. "Instead of imprisoning the councillors, she simply executed them all, and then the remainder of their families so that they could not rise up in the future, distributing their lands and titles to her own closest allies."

"Not a woman of half measures, this Yukina Minato."

Aya nodded, but did not pay much attention to whatever else they had to say. Misaki had more questions for Arisa, and though at first she was annoyed to answer so many doubts, in a few minutes Arisa was smiling, eagerly sharing stories with Misaki. It almost looked like they were getting along, a difficult thing to say of Arisa. Yet Aya did not hear what they had to say, because she was preoccupied with thoughts and doubts of her own, ones that Arisa could not answer.

It was Hina she thought of. Her sister was one of Yukina's supporters, one of the four granted the title of Princess because of their role in bringing Yukina to power. Hina never spoke of Sayo, and Aya knew better than to ask about her. She wished now that she had sought Hina, offered her a shoulder to cry on when they were still together, when Hina surely had needed her. _Hina must have been thinking of her sister, she must have been worried about her, and I just ignored it. _She wanted to hit herself for her foolishness. She had been so focused on finding the Melodies that she did not notice the pain around her until it was too late. Hina, Maya, Eve… She had hurt them all, and realized that only when it was too late, only when she was alone.

And she hurt Chisato most of all.

"This history lesson does nothing to ease my worries," Aya interrupted Arisa and Misaki, realizing all of a sudden that there was something important she must do. "They will come again, if the Melody stays here. I didn't plan on staying here forever, of course, but it seems I must leave sooner than planned."

Arisa didn't say anything. Aya had half expected her to say it was a relief to see her gone, but instead she only looked at her with mild discomfort, like she had something she wanted to ask but refused to bring herself to utter the words.

"That makes sense," said Misaki. "Of course, while I don't mind staying here to protect people, I, uh… I actually do mind it quite a lot. Sorry. I still need to find out what the hell happened to me. I have no idea where to begin looking for answers, but I don't expect to find them under a pile of manure here."

"So the two of you mean to leave?" Arisa asked, softly. "But… Where to?"

"While I'm leaving so as to not bring more unwanted danger to the people of this village," said Aya, "that's not the only reason. There are bandits pillaging freely in Coloratus and Suilen, ones with ties to the Rosenreich. And now they're seeking Melodies. Far too high aspirations for mere brigands. The queen must know this. I have to tell her, so I'm going to Albioturris."

Arisa spat out her tea, staining Misaki's armor. Aya looked for a rag to clean her with, but Arisa just continued to stare at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Excuse me? Do you realize that it's madness that just poured out of your mouth? You don't just walk up to a castle and say _yes, hello, I would like to speak to the queen_. If you do that they might just throw you into the dungeons. Goodness, even I had to wait months to get an audience with Queen Chiyu, and I'm of noble birth, while you are…" She held back. "I mean no offense, of course, but you are one of the commons. You'd never even be allowed into Chisato's halls."

"I have been before," she said. "Chisato is my friend."

That wasn't accurate, strictly speaking. The last time they talked, Chisato _did _say that if Aya showed up her face in Albioturris again, she would be thrown off the top of the walls. But that had been a while ago, and Arisa didn't need to know such details.

"Huh?"

"We collected Melodies together," Aya said, and couldn't help but to grow wistful at the memory of that. "She will listen to me, if I tell her it's urgent. I know it."

Arisa grew silent, thoughtful. Aya thought the woman was about to call her stupid, to tell her that this plan was nonsense. But she said no such thing. The annoyance was gone from her visage, and for the first time Aya saw kindness in that face.

"I see. It's a dangerous road leading to Albioturris, but then again so are all roads. I trust Misaki will accompany you, to guard you?"

"Erm, Rimi asked me if I'd like to follow her on her way to Suilen, but to be honest, I told her I'd consider it only to be polite, and because I didn't know where else to go… If I go there, I may just end up stuck in… Hanasakigawa? Is that the name of the place?"

"Yes," Arisa said. She clenched a fist, but her voice and expression remained serene. "Horrible place. If you go there you'll surely come no closer to having your questions answered. Albioturris, however, is a proper city. And since our Aya is so chummy with wise Queen Chisato, maybe she'll offer you some assistance! Yes, definitely better than wasting your time in Suilen, that hellhole with no future."

"Don't be astonished by my investigative skills," said Misaki, "but I get the impression you don't want me to go to Suilen. Care to explain why?"

"Because I fucking hate the place, that's why," Arisa grumbled. "No one deserves to waste their time there, and you're a pretty decent person, and Suilen doesn't deserve anyone decent. If Rimi had an inkling of good sense she would do as I have and walk away even though she's noble born, too."

"A noble merchant?" Aya found that unusual, but Suilen _was _a great economic power, as much as there could be economic powers under the Silence, at least. "Listen, Arisa, I've been thinking about-"

"Well, don't," she put an end to the subject. So much for opening up. "I don't want to talk about Rimi, I don't want to talk about Suilen, I don't want to talk about Hanasakigawa. The one thing I want to do is put all my herbs in a satchel, and some potions as well, and get out of this village as soon as possible."

"You… You're leaving?"

"I _told _you the roads are dangerous," Arisa looked at her with disdain. "So if you happen to get wounded, or if you eat some funny-smelling mushrooms because you don't know what's poisonous and what's edible, you'd die on your way to Albioturris without me."

"Are you concerned about her?" Misaki asked. Unlike Aya, she had not yet learned to keep her distance from Arisa when she required it, and made it clear she didn't want to elaborate on her words.

"I'm concerned about this village, not her," Arisa said, jumping up, huffing and puffing as she made her way towards her battered cabinet and selected the supplies she might need. "Those bandits know of my birth, so they'll know I'm worth ransoming. Best if I leave along with the Melody, to make sure there's nothing here to attract any brigands, other than all the mud and chicken shit, I guess."

Aya was not an idiot to believe such a flimsy excuse, or to so casually accept such a sudden change of mind. And yet, how could she question Arisa? It was hearing that Aya had once been Chisato's friend that drew her attention, but why? Aya did not know, nor did she expect to. That was Arisa's way. Aya could only bear it, and of course she wouldn't say no to company and help on her journey.

"Well, I don't really have anything to pack," Misaki broke the silence, "so I can leave just about any time, really."

"Then we're ready to go," said Aya. "I'm not sure how far we can go on such a poor night's rest, but-" She caught herself before continuing. "Ah. Sorry, Misaki. I didn't mean to be insensitive."

"It's fine," she said, and laughed. "You really think I'm going to get mad over something like that when I'm stuck in a suit of armor? That's the more pressing concern. If anything I'm the one who should worry about you. Maybe you should get some sleep…"

"No," said Arisa. "I'm ready. I got herbs and enough food to last us on our way, although you're gonna have to get really used to stale bread. Either way, let's just get moving. Time is wasting. Maybe the people of the village will have the good sense to take all that remains in the house. I've left potions behind, that should keep the pox away for a while."

"Rimi hasn't left yet," Aya pointed out. "We can wait for you to say goodbye."

"No need," she opened her door, and walked away without looking back, as if expecting the other two to simply follow her. Aya felt a chill.

_No need_. She remembered those words, this thought she had before. When she looked at Arisa underneath the sun's pale light, what she saw was herself in the darkness, leaving Albioturris in the middle of the night, unwilling to face Chisato before she left, or Maya, Eve, Hina… No need for goodbyes then. Farewells are for those who don't part ways with hatred between them.

She did not know how Chisato would react to her return. She couldn't begin to anticipate how she might have changed. _As I have_, she reflected, following Misaki, and closing the door behind her.

* * *

_Shadows draped the walls of Albioturris from as early as first light, now that only half of the castle's torches were kept ablaze. Here the emptiness was cold and made Aya feel more lonely than she already did. Only a week had passed since the ill news had arrived and Princess Chisato became Queen Chisato, and already it did not seem her reign would last the month. Though the Rosenreich's army had not yet even crossed the borders, the castle looked as though it had already been attacked, its garrison slain, because few souls remained in the marbled halls of Albioturris._

"_All hope is lost," was the cry of the courtiers when the messenger came in haste and informed everyone of the dire end of a battle near the borders. The worst thing, to Aya, was that Chisato was not even afforded the kindness of hearing the news in private, so that she could conceal her grief to the word, and weep alone. Instead she had to don the mask of queen without warning, and promise that this would not be the end of Coloratus, even as the armies under the rose banner approached. She almost sounded like she believed that._

_The noble among the court returned to their demesnes, and while some swore to the queen that they would raise their levies to defend Coloratus, it was plain to all that many simply planned to hide in their castles, and to wave a flag of surrender if they caught the faintest glimpse of the Rosenreich's approach. Others accused Hina of treason, citing her origin; a girl born to House Hikawa, sister to the woman who, with her bow, crowned Chisato. Suspicions were raised by many, more interested in finding someone to blame for the blow suffered by Coloratus than in supporting their new queen. They said that Hina's absence was proof that she was involved with the Rosenreich. A few even dared to suggest that, should she return, Chisato ought to execute her as retribution, while cooler heads proposed instead that Hina be used as a hostage. The look Chisato gave them had them scurrying away from Albioturris before the end of the day._

_More left with each passing day, nobles and servants alike. The castle was deserted now, and by the end of the week cobwebs had started to cluster around the corners, the torches were scarcely replaced, and so few cooks remained that Maya was forced to start purchasing meals from the inns of Albio, the city that had grown around the castle and became the capital of the realm. The innkeepers appreciated the business, of course, as none would travel to a city soon to be under siege. The gates were kept open, and many chose to abandon Albio, but just as many sought the city's walls for protection, though those desperate few had no coin to afford accommodation in the first place._

_Aya sat by herself at the grand dining hall, now empty. She didn't even feel like eating. This past week she had spent only waiting for what seemed inevitable, hoping that Hina would return from wherever she had gone, no doubt following her curiosity and seeking magical relics, not even bothering to warn that she was gone. It was odd how much leeway Chisato gave to Hina, and whether that was because of her peerless magical skill or because she had simply given up on controlling Hina was something Aya was unsure of._

_A week. A week of doing nothing but twiddling her thumbs and roaming the emptiness of the castle, because she could not bear even to make her way to the city to see fearful eyes all around. If Albioturris fell, there would be a sack, there was no avoiding that. Though Aya had never witnessed it, she had heard enough about what happens to a city when it fell. She tried not to think about it. Fear was useless, and she had to be strong for the sake of everyone who depended on her._

_Footsteps approached. Maya stepped closer, with the queen following right behind her. Neither of them had slept, and Chisato hadn't changed from the clothes she wore yesterday. Aya made herself smile, but the gesture wasn't returned. Chisato only glared._

"_For you to smile," the queen said, "you must cling to some hope, or you mean to mock me. If you have any hope, then share it with the rest of us, for surely we could use it. Elsewise, keep this smile to yourself."_

"_You're angry," Aya said. "I'm sorry. I'm smiling because everyone else is certain of their death. It gets tiresome to look around and see only despair."_

"_Tiresome?" Chisato made a fist. "I'm sorry it's _tiresome _for you to see people mourn and fear. Next time I'll try to tell myself that I still have parents, that should cheer me right up. You could, for once in your life, consider the feelings of others. A smile is the last thing I want to see right now."_

"_We have gotten word from some of the provinces," Maya intervened, quickly changing the subject. "Eve has raised a host at Salisetia, two thousand strong, to join with the rest in the coming days, as they've already begun to march."_

"_That's good," Aya said, looking only at Maya to avoid Chisato's sleepless stare. "Any idea when we should see her again? Hopefully Hina returns in time."_

"_Hina is reliable," said Chisato. "She has her own concerns, but I know she will not abandon us in our hour of need, and I know that she will stand by us. She has no loyalty to her family, or to the Rosenreich. She will fight her sister if she must, I know she will. I trust her entirely. I don't blame her for Sayo's actions."_

_Somehow Chisato was able not to irrationally blame Hina, but could not do the same to Aya. There was always something wrong with Aya, as of late, as the queen's patience frayed with each worrisome report that arrived. In face of such a great trauma, she reacted to smaller concerns with wrath that bordered on overreaction. But Aya never complained. She never said a thing, did not try to change her queen's ways._

"_Either way, we shall prepare to the best of our ability. We have reached out to Reverie and Suilen for help," Chisato's voice was heavy with distaste. "I despise having to approach them with a beggar's bowl in hand, rattling it and asking for some pity, but I am no longer a princess. A queen must swallow her pride and do what is best for those below her, no matter how humiliating."_

"_And what were their responses?" Aya did not expect good news. She could tell that much from the faces before her._

"_Queen Kokoro of Reverie has promised to speak to Queen Yukina on our behalf," Chisato said, scornful. "As if any of Kokoro's promises mean a thing. As for Queen Chiyu, she was far more open to an alliance, which is hardly surprising considering the Rosenreich will come for Suilen after smashing us. She has offered advice, firstly, which I didn't ask for, and said that holing up in Albioturris and enduring a lengthy siege was the best course of action. She has offered us plenty of food, enough to withstand some years of siege," at the mention of the word _years _Aya could only shudder. A week here was close to driving her mad, but a whole year? "At a price, of course. We'll be in Suilen's debt for quite a while, but she was quite persuasive about a need for an alliance between us."_

"_Are you considering that alliance?"_

"_I'm considering anything that keeps this city from being sacked and that lets us all keep our heads attached to our bodies. I understand Chiyu's intentions, though she did not divulge them explicitly. If the Rosenreich's army is occupied with a siege, then Suilen can advance into the undefended territory to the east."_

_Aya held back laughter, and failed soon enough. Of course it was all about that, the endless war between the four kingdoms where borders were redrawn every month, where armies threw themselves at one another in a struggle for a mile of land that would be lost come the next year. It was a joke, a terrible one, that all this loss and horror had fundamentally changed nothing. And as the kingdoms warred, the shroud of the Silence only continued to stretch._

"_Is something funny?"_

"_No," Aya responded. "Quite the opposite. It feels like a cruel jest from the universe, one that only an evil god could be entertained by. This war means nothing. Not when in the south the Silence devours more and more of our world, always approaching us. The only border we should concern ourselves with is where Coloratus meets the Deadlands. There is the only war that matters. Everything else is a petty struggle for barren, worthless land."_

"_Is that the way you see it?" Chisato asked. She was using a tone which indicated that Aya had just said something very stupid. "Pray tell, are you perhaps resentful that, while you're here, you cannot hunt for Melodies?"_

She knows me well, as always, _thought Aya. _Or maybe I'm just predictable.

"_Of course I'm bothered. I'll fight with you to protect Albioturris, but that won't change my thoughts. It's the Melodies we need, the only salvation this world can have. And we must do it while there's still anything to save. Each soldier who dies facing the Rosenreich is a spear we cannot count on when we must fight the true war."_

"_I presume, then, that what has been going on is only a fake war," Chisato said with a voice heavy with poison. "Thank you, Aya, for enlightening us. You always know what's right, don't you? Mayhaps you'll consider making the journey to one of the battlefields and tell all the bones there that they aren't actually dead, that their war wasn't real! Maybe you'll bring my parents back to life there, too, though they might be a little bit rotten by now-"_

"_Your Majesty, I-" Maya tried to interrupt her, but Chisato wasn't having any of it._

"_I'll explain it to you in easy words," said Chisato, "because to you, everything in the world is easy, is it not? You who have convinced yourself that this world can be saved by ancient magics and spells lost from an era devoured by the Silence. What manner of insanity is that? Have you looked outside? Have you seen the world? I have fought by your side to retrieve the Melodies you and Hina located, and we have restored some of the magic and music our realm once knew, but what has that earned us? The world is still withered. The farms are still dying, the winds are still plagued with disease, monsters still roam the lands."_

"_It might not seem like much, but-"_

"_I did not grant you permission to speak," Chisato said. "You really don't understand things, or maybe you can't take them seriously. There's a world around you, in case you haven't noticed. There's things worth fighting for other than your precious Melodies. You wouldn't comprehend. From birth I was raised to be a queen, as a child I learned my responsibilities, and though for a time I could travel with you, I cannot relinquish my crown now. I must do as is demanded of me, though it pains me so. I don't suppose you know what it's like to be crushed by the weight of responsibility, no, not you, so certain of the righteousness of your every cause and thought, so convinced that you know how to save the world, and no one else. If it were up to you, we'd send all our troops into the Deadlands to dig up dirt and let the Rosenreich conquer everything."_

"_That's happening anyways," Aya said. Defiant, she was unwilling to listen to Chisato yell at her. "So what good did it do, tell me? I'm sorry I called it a joke. I did not mean to make light of all that has been lost. I only mean that-"_

"_That we're not saving the world, I get it," Chisato said. "You're so annoying. It's always about this with you, always about the Melodies, always about uniting everyone. Has it ever occurred to you that even if you manage to find all the Melodies and, somehow, put an end to the Silence, the world will continue to be the corpse it is now? You say these wars don't matter, but they are _all _that matters, Aya. Because if you succeed, what kind of world will you even save? A world of oppression, diseased and famished. It might not seem so grandiose to you, a queen's duty, keeping the roads safe and protecting trade routes, ensuring the land is healthy enough for us not to all starve to death… No, that's too banal and petty for Aya Maruyama, savior of the world, she who remembers music, and because of that she's right about everything, always. Grow up. The world is not a fairy tale, nor is it a theatre for your heroics, where everyone will watch you in breathless awe as you save us all. It must be so, so easy to be you… To think the world is simple, and to believe, wholeheartedly, that _you _have been chosen to save the world… But for the rest of us, life is _not _a cruel joke. It is not something we look down on with the knowledge that we have all the answers."_

"_You're angry," Aya said. She knew she wasn't helping, but she wasn't a child to be so condescendingly scolded. "I understand that. You're saying cruel things because you think that by hurting me you'll change my mind and make the way you see the world come true. You see the world as a cold place, don't you? So of course you have no interest in saving it. You don't care about it, do you?"_

_If not for Maya taking hold of Chisato's hand, those long fingers of hers would have coiled around Aya's throat. Perhaps Aya should have kept her silence, but Chisato was looking for reasons to lose her temper. There was no backing down, and, besides, Aya was not the kind to silence herself for the sake of avoiding an argument when she _knew _she was right._

"_And to think I loved you, once," Chisato said. "No matter. Contrary to what you may believe, you are not the only person in the world, nor are you so important and indispensable that people will tolerate you no matter what it is you do, so I will-"_

_She did not have the chance to finish the sentence; a familiar voice called out to them, with timing so perfect that it seemed to be done on purpose - and considering Hina, it most likely was. Aya turned to see her leisurely walking towards them, smiling, as if she had just witnessed the most entertaining of sights. Sometimes Aya wondered if Hina was capable of any other expression, if there was any emotion within her but detached amusement._

"_I'm sorry, have I walked into something tense?" She asked. "There are veins popping all over your neck, my queen," she pointed a finger at them, and Chisato recoiled away. "Oh, you haven't been getting sleep, either, I can tell from the way you look like boiled shit. I've been away for a while, so let me make up for my absence by conjuring you a nice spell to make you feel well-rested again."_

"_I'm fine," she took Hina's hand and pushed it aside. "It's not sleep I need, but good news," the queen turned towards Hina, which Aya was grateful for; it meant that, for now, there would be some respite from their fighting. But of course it could not last. It was in their nature to oppose one another and everything they believed. "Even you must have realized that the Rosenreich is closing in on us, no?"_

"_Of course," said Hina. "And the fact that you didn't send for your guards to cut off my head means you still trust me even though my sister, well… You know…" Chisato said nothing, and with her back turned on Aya, she could only imagine how sour her visage had turned. "Well, I don't know if it's good news, but I found some _really _interesting scrolls gathering dust in an old church in some tiny nameless village, and shards of an enchanted mirror, though I sadly could not repair it. Who knows how they found their way there, but now they're mine!"_

"_That's excellent news, Hina," Maya said, and Aya recognized that she was using her restrained, diplomatic tone of voice. "But the kind of good news we're eager to hear is the sort that gives us hope that we'll die of old age and not of starvation during a prolonged siege."_

"_Oh, that kind," absurdly, Hina sounded more bored than anything else. "I suppose you could run away? The Rosenreich's armies haven't arrived, at least not that I can tell, so if your concern is living a long life, you could run away."_

"_Never," Chisato declared. "I am not one to walk away on my duties, or to chase dreams when there are millions of lives depending on me. Coloratus shall endure, no matter the cost."_

"_Well, then I have nothing for you," Hina shrugged. "Unless…"_

_She grinned. It was a smile that Aya had never seen before, one that was not aloof and self-satisfied, but purer, truer. It made her look like someone else entirely._

"_Whatever hope you have to offer," Chisato said, "I will take it. No matter the cost," she repeated._

"_Then grant me leave to ride out and meet with my sister."_

"_That's impossible."_

"_Hm, no, nothing's really impossible for me," Hina said, confident. "You know, I didn't want to be so rude, but I have no intention of dying here, and if you insist on fighting, you'll die, so I'll just find somewhere else that's interesting and that's not about to be sacked. You trust me, after all, or you'd be a fool to accept me here at this time. And I also know that you'd rather _not _have to trust someone as fickle as me, or whatever it is you'd want to call me, but if you trust me now, I can try to end this."_

"_Negotiate with the Rosenreich…" The very words were disgusting to Aya. "Are you sure that's wise?"_

"_Oh, no, it's terribly stupid," Hina said. "That's why I said I'm going to talk to my sister."_

"_Sayo…" Chisato struggled to even say her name, so wroth was she made by the thought of her. "Will she listen to you? From the way you've spoken of her, that seems rather doubtful."_

"_She is my sister," said Hina. "She may despise me, she may spit on me, but she would never harm me, and, most importantly, she would listen to me. She might not like it, but she'll hear what I have to say. What _you _have to say."_

"_Tell her we've secured Suilen's alliance," Maya suggested, "and Reverie's as well. Lie to her. Tell her whatever you need to convince her that it's not in her interest to push onwards."_

"_I will," said Hina, with the levity of someone who appeared not to realize how critical the situation was. But Hina was no fool. She just found it entertaining, like everything. "We'll be fine. When have I ever failed you?"_

"_Never," Chisato said. Then, as she began to walk away, she looked at Aya one last time with disdain, but said nothing. Instead her last words were meant to Hina. "Go, then. We cannot wait. Our lives and hopes lie in your hands. You are someone I can still entrust with those."_

* * *

"Such pretty hair you have, Lady Asahi."

She only smiled, not knowing how to answer. It was not in her to be vain, and Rokka had always struggled with compliments. At times she felt she did not deserve them, either because she was not good enough, or because she feared it was her blood and birth that were praised, not her.

Not that Asuka would ever do that, of course. Rokka would never doubt her intentions, or her gentle heart. It was only herself that she doubted. She watched the outside world from her window, seated on a comfortable, cushioned seat, as her handmaid brushed her long blue hair, slowly and gently. Though there was little beauty to see when she gazed outside, the wind, at least, was pleasantly chilly, a welcome relief after the harsh cold of the past weeks. Though the sun still shone only feebly and the days were far from _warm, _perhaps the worst of winter was soon to pass.

Though it might not even be winter, in truth. The Silence stretched the seasons, then scrambled them, then cut them to ribbons to its own liking, whimsical. One day storms would flood villages, forcing Rokka to open her gates to shelter her people, but the next day the snows would fall so heavy that she could sometimes hear the ceilings creak, as they struggled to withstand the weight of the frost. And the next day they would melt to mud and bury the roads.

"Must you call me _Lady_ Rokka?" She asked, trying to turn to her handmaid, but with the brush still running through her hair, she could barely move her head.

"It's only proper, my lady," she said, ever courteous. "Would you rather I didn't?"

"Not in private, no," she said. "I understand that it's easy for me to ask, that you might have hesitations of your own, but we _are _friends, are we not?" Asuka let go of Rokka's hair, and set the brush on top of her dresser.

"We are, yet there are courtesies I must see to," Asuka said, fidgety. The topic was making her uncomfortable, so Rokka began to regret mentioning it. Though Queen Chiyu was more strict than most where it came to punishing the transgressions of nobles against their subjects, the discomfort was only natural, especially in a castle close enough to the Rosenreich's borders that tales often spread of how the populace there was subjected to the whims of its reigning queen and princesses.

"I won't take out your tongue," said Seta. She meant it as a joke, but there was little humor to be found in the jape. "Very well, I won't have you change your ways. Yet it was you who chose to follow me here, when you could have stayed at Haneoka, safe in the heart of Suilen. If not for you, I'd be alone. Though you attend to me, I see you only as my friend, not a servant. If anything, I wish you would let me brush your hair, too, and braid it."

"Th-that might not be proper," Asuka said, but couldn't conceal her smile. "Lady Rokka, your heart is beautiful, but sometimes I think you may want to get me into trouble… I'm not my sister, willful and carefree. I know my place."

_My place. _Of course. It was Asuka who had the right of it, not Rokka, the fool. At times she found it fate's folly that she was born to nobility when she was so unfit for it. Her parents did what they could to educate her, but Rokka had no skill with a weapon, nor a mind for numbers or tactics. They hoped to groom her into a diplomat, that she might form bonds with other Houses, and perhaps even find someone to wed so that, despite her complete lack of skills, she could at least serve her bloodline by continuing it. And yet she flushed and shrank when faced with strangers, and when meeting Lady Kitazawa of Reverie she committed the maladroit mistake of, upon seeing her clad in heavy plate, thinking she was, instead, her older brother, wounding her.

And so there was nowhere for a failure of a daughter but a castle near the border with the Rosenreich, in the center of a valley which made for the quickest passage between the kingdoms. Desperate, Rokka offered to take charge of the fortress when its former lord died with no heirs. Queen Chiyu granted the request, happy to avoid a long dispute between the surrounding Houses over who should be granted ownership of Tateshiro. Let House Asahi deal with its upkeep and defense.

"I think my hair looks good enough," she said, rising and facing the mirror. "Thank you, Asuka. Shall we deal with today's matters?"

Dutiful, she followed her lady, locking her bedroom's doors behind. Rokka misliked the corridors of this castle, ill-lit due to the lack of windows. Torchlight was just not enough, and Tateshiro was a place of long shadows and cramped corridors. And yet it was the most important of Suilen's defenses in case the Rosenreich attacked, though in the past months the armies of the Rose Queen sought different paths into Suilen. It was a great responsibility, especially for someone as inept as Rokka, but she was assured that Tateshiro was so safe that even a lackwit could hold it.

And it housed a Melody whose magic shielded its huge iron gates. That was a great help, to be sure. Placed atop a runed pedestal made of obsidian, its magic ran through the stones of the castle, so at all times a gentle hum filled the halls. Yet it was never an irksome sound, even though it resounded day and night. The comfort it brought to Rokka and all who dwelled in the castle far outweighed any petty complaints about repetition. They were all grateful to have a remnant of music with them, even when they could no longer sing, or remember the music that was so precious to them before the Silence dug its darkened fangs into their memories.

There was much to be done in Tateshiro, each and every morning. Firstly, Rokka received a group of merchants arriving from the east, from the Rosenreich. She played the part of the generous host, meeting them in the courtyard and offering them bed and board and fair prices for their wares. The fortress was so distant from any of the cities of Suilen that it depended on travelling merchants to keep itself supplied; for their part, merchants could rely on Tateshiro to always have need of their goods. And though the Rosenreich was a ruined realm where thorns grew instead of crops and charnel pits littered the landscape, it was also a place where the old magics were stronger than anywhere else. Sometimes merchants would come with magical trinkets to sell, and though they were rarely of much use, and were often broken, they renewed Rokka's hopes that the spark of music could be rekindled.

The leader of the merchants, a brown-haired woman who introduced herself as a trader from the Rosenreich, was so obsequiously courteous that even Asuka thought it was too much. Her company arrived with several large, covered wagons, enough grain to last the year, and fodder for all the horses. Rokka knew little of accounting, so she directed the woman to the treasurer's office, on the south wing of Tateshiro, by the valley's jagged slopes. Though the vault was called a treasury, in truth the most precious relic of the fortress was not kept there, but instead in a secluded and unassuming chamber behind the altar of the old chapel, unused since the Silence, and thus the perfect hiding place.

Rokka returned to the castle to take care of her other affairs, with Asuka by her side. She always reminded Rokka of duties she had forgotten, her memory unfailing and reliable. Now that the matter of supplying Tateshiro had been dealt with, Rokka decided it was time to order a thorough inspection of the storerooms, taking inventory of goods that were less likely to be brought by merchants, such as medicines, lenses, oil, and salt, which would have to be purchased from one of the other, greater castles of Suilen, and at a high price, because none were willing to part with such rare materials for cheap. Salt, in particular, had become a pricey product this past year, now that the major salt mines of Suilen had become home to monsters.

Then, she headed to the stables, to check on the horses. She knew nothing of animal care, so mostly she only ensured they were well fed and caressed their heads, felt the cold wetness of their mouths on her hands, and laughed, ticklish. She couldn't help but feel sorry for them, enclosed in such small spaces, and rarely had the opportunity to run as they wished, treading upon the wilderness outside, because it was far too dangerous. A sad life, thought Rokka, who, too, left Tateshiro only twice a year, three times if she was summoned by her family or her queen. Only then was she free, and the horses as well. As she fed them small, malformed apples, she wondered if they had noticed the world had changed, if the Silence meant anything to them. A foolish thought, yet one she could not avoid. The Silence did not only change the lives of humanity, but the very world and all that lived in it. The grasslands had withered and the lakes had been fouled, and all that lived there had started to die, just as men died in their cities and castles. Everywhere, all around, there was death, and little more.

"What's left to deal with now?" She asked Asuka, feeling like there was something missing, something she forgot.

"There are vacant offices, my lady," said Asuka. "The castle's master of horse is aging, and has requested that we appoint a prospective equerry to substitute him. He will deal with the training himself. We'll need a new chandler as well, and the gamekeeper is still insisting on the hiring of an assistant…"

"An assistant? What happened to the last one? Didn't I send him that scrawny boy?" She tried to remember his name, but could not.

"Yes, but he disappeared days ago when the hunting party was ambushed by beasts."

"Why was I not informed of that?" Rokka moaned. There was just always too much she had to worry about, and she struggled to keep up with all these responsibilities. "Very well. Let us resolve this as quickly as possible. A chandler is easy enough to train, and surely there's plenty of people here who would enjoy caring for the horses, and do it gladly, but as for the keeper's assistant… I'll send word to Haneoka, I suppose. Call one of the messengers, and I'll write a letter of appointment and arrange some coin. I think that's-"

A man rushed into the stables, panicking, out of breath. Rokka recoiled, caught by surprise, and though on a first moment Asuka reprimanded him for running in without any warning, Rokka froze when she saw blood running down his face, red on the white of his tunic. She recognized him as one of the servants gathered around the courtyard, ready to unload the goods brought by the caravan.

"M'lady," even wounded, he remembered his courtesies. "I… I… There was…"

"Easy, my good man," Rokka put a hand on his shoulder, and felt the blood underneath, warm and wet. "An accident? Let's run to the physician, it's this way-"

"No," he shook his head. "No accident," he rolled up the sleeve on his left arm, and showed there a deep cut that Rokka could not mistake for anything but a stab wound. "The wagons… When we uncovered them, it was swords we found inside, and their wielders. They struck as soon as they were seen, and we could not react. And she was among them. The Mitake woman."

"What?" Rokka didn't want to believe him. "Are you certain?" He nodded, pained. "What of the guards, and the servants? Are they well?"

"They were overpowered. Some tried to fight back, but they couldn't stand up to Mitake and her soldiers. I fled as quickly as I could, looking for you, but I saw few others on my way, running and seeking somewhere to hide. All I heard was screaming, the sounds of battle, and Mitake giving a command to her underlings. She ordered them to go to the treasury. She mentioned a Melody, so she knows of it, but I heard no more after that. I'm sorry"

_The treasury. _Of course. For an instant, Rokka was relieved to think that the Melody was not kept there, but elsewhere. But that did nothing to ease their current troubles. Dozens of bandits had taken control of Tateshiro, and soon enough none of its defenders would remain, and after that it would be a matter of time before the Melody was found. If these were mere bandits, Rokka might have wondered how they even knew about the Melodies, and that one was kept here, but they were no ordinary brigands. Ran, last survivor of House Mitake… She dabbled in dark magic, it was said, and had corrupted the power of music to suit her own designs.

_Why did I let them in? Stupid Rokka, foolish as always! _She blamed herself, though this had never happened before, her trust was never betrayed before. She had no time to lament and to feel sorry for herself, however. She still had time to fix some of her mistakes. She opened the doors of the stables, and called Asuka's attention.

"Ready the horses and open the gates," she ordered her. "You can still ride, right?" She asked the wounded man, and he nodded fraily. "Asuka will help you. If you find anyone else in hiding, you'll help them mount too, understood?"

"Why are you saying this?" Asuka asked. "We won't flee without you, my lady. Let's leave now."

"I won't let them lay their hands on the Melody," said Rokka. "The Melody's magic reinforced our gates, yet we opened them to those monsters all the same. We cannot fight, we can only escape. Leave a horse readied for me, and I'll catch up to you. Don't wait for me. Save yourselves and as many as you can," she saw the hesitation in Asuka's face, and did something she preferred not to. "This is an order."

She bowed, and complied. Rokka made haste in leaving, and did not look back. As she ran, she felt cold, weak; her legs were soft and her hands were trembling, and when the sounds of fighting grew louder, she was tempted to turn back and flee without the Melody, but she never did. She only continued onward, never turning aside to see the slaughter at the courtyard and in the great hall. She could do nothing to save anyone, but still she would save what she could. She found the stairs leading up, and, sweating, panting, shaking, she made her way to the old chapel.

The wooden door was beaten and broken, and splinters were scattered along the nearby floor, for it had been so long since this area of the castle had been used that no servants even bothered cleaning it. Why would they? The chapel was now a worthless, empty room, a memory forgotten, the husk of the old world. The Silence was the twilight of the gods everywhere, and all that remained of them were their shrines, now devoid of life and pillaged long ago.

But one treasure remained in this one. Rokka stepped gingerly past the altar, breathing in the heavy dust of the chapel. The door nearly fell apart at her touch, but what mattered was the Melody inside, gleaming a pale blue in the midst of a thick black. The darkness and the obsidian pedestal seemed to meld together, and when Rokka's fingers grasped the Melody, she felt a pleasant warmth. She could lose herself in it, if she had time. The song grew louder, and Rokka could _feel _it inside her. Was that what magic felt like?

She held the Melody close to her chest and began to run again. With the song in her heart, she actually found some courage, and the will to keep going. The song drowned out her footsteps and the dying screams she heard all around, and she knew the layout of Tateshiro in a way no invader ever could. And until they realized the Melody was not hidden away in the treasury, they wouldn't think of seeking her. Driven by that confidence, she didn't hesitate or question herself for once in her life. She neared the western gates, and there she found a horse in waiting, and Asuka as well, and half a dozen people who had managed to escape the attack. Rokka needed no words to give them their command, and so, all together, they rode through the open gate. The song was dying down as they left, and what sang now was the fire crackling in the distance, a hateful and disharmonious sound.

_So few escaped. _Her destrier trotted away, and all Rokka could think about was how she should return to the castle she was tasked to defend and… Do what, exactly? She had no skill at arms, no great strength and no magic. But even so the guilt stang her as Tateshiro shrank away in the distance.

"It's early in the day," Asuka told her, when they had covered enough ground to not be in immediate danger, "so they'll come for us soon enough. They had horses, too."

"We'll go to Haneoka," Rokka said. She forced herself to sound strong and confident, so that these few survivors would not lose to fear. This had all happened so quickly, so the least she could do was to try and convince them that she knew what she was doing. Perhaps then she could convince herself, too. "We'll tell Queen Chiyu of what happened. She'll want to know, and will do something about it. The way into Suilen is open, now. She cannot ignore this."

"We don't have enough food to last the journey to Haneoka," Asuka pointed out. "And if we try to forage, we'll lose too much time. But… Would you mind a suggestion, my lady?" Rokka consented, though in truth she was desperate for someone to have an idea of what to do, but all around were only lost, frightened faces, waiting for their lady to tell them what to do. "My sister, Kasumi. She'll help us. Hanasakigawa is only a few days' ride away, and though it's not a grand castle, it's well-defended. We'll be able to rest there, and get supplies."

Her sister, Kasumi… Rokka had heard much about her, as everyone else had. This girl of common birth who possessed the gift of the Voice, one of the few people who withstood the Silence without entirely losing the memory of music… Asuka didn't often speak of her, and it was even more rare for her to say Kasumi was reliable.

"If you trust her," Rokka said, "then I shall, too. Show us the way, then, if you will. We ride for Hanasakigawa."

* * *

**_Thank you all for the feedback and all the kind words! They are greatly appreciated. The coming chapters will feature new point of view characters, and while the focus thus far has been pretty narrow, you can expect the other bands to get some attention in due time. Once again, thank you for reading._**


	4. The Rose's Torn Petals

Tsugumi stepped gingerly into the office, knowing she would find Ran in a foul mood. She found her there, fingers furiously grasping her dagger as its blade dug into the wooden table in front of her. Ran always wore her feelings where they were easy to see, and now was no different. She had been holed up in this office for hours now, ever since Tsugumi told her that there was no sign of the Melody in Tateshiro. _Of course not, _Ran had said, then. _I cannot hear it anymore. It's distant now. The Asahi girl must have escaped with it since our attack was slow, indecisive. _It hadn't been either of those things, of course. They always struck quickly, before their targets could answer, and they began their attack so suddenly that by the time the castle's garrison took notice of it, most of the guards had been wiped out.

But Tsugumi knew Ran far too well to be surprised. She was not one to acknowledge that perhaps Rokka Asahi was not as helpless a target as they expected. Instead she would rather mope and convince herself that something had gone wrong. It was rare for Ran to be defeated in anything that mattered to her, but when it happened, her mood would sour for days and oftentimes it was almost as if she became someone else entirely. She suffered failure poorly, growing bitter and full of grudges.

"You've been here for hours now," Tsugumi told her, gently. Ran nodded, absent-mindedly. Were it Tomoe or Moca standing before her, it was unlikely that she would keep her silence, but, then again, Tomoe and Moca didn't have a fraction of the tact and composure that Tsugumi did. They would have said something stupid to incite Ran's anger. "We cannot stay. Let's take whatever valuables we can and leave. There's nothing here for us."

"You're right, Tsugu," Ran sighed. She always worked hard to maintain her calm while talking to Tsugumi. "Of course you are. Whatever valuables we can… What was found in the treasury, other than disappointment?"

"Our soldiers found reserves of gold and silver," Tsugumi said. _Soldiers _was a word she used on Ran's insistence. They were not _our boys_, nor were they _the thugs_, but _our soldiers. _Though the world looked down on them as mere bandits, they had higher origins than mere highwaymen or brutes. "Coins, mostly. Some bars. Some steel was stockpiled, but its quality was wholly unremarkable. It will only weigh us down, so I had it thrown into the fire."

"Good. We won't stay here long, and Suilen will surely ride to liberate this castle soon," Ran said, letting go of her dagger. "By then we'll be gone, and they'll find nothing here but worthless rubble. Destroy and burn whatever you can."

Tsugumi nodded. Those were not Ran's orders, she recognized. It should hardly matter to her what happened to this place, after they'd taken its riches, save for the Melody. Still, she said nothing. This matter was a bit of a sensitive topic to Ran.

"Will we try to track down Rokka?" Tsugumi asked.

"We don't have enough horses," she said, furrowing her brow. "Nor do we have the numbers for an incursion into Suilen. If we chance upon soldiers, we may lose too much. I'm not sending trusted soldiers to die on an uncertain mission. Let's just head back."

She rose, then, and when she stood tall Tsugumi was reminded of why she had chosen to follow Ran Mitake wherever she led. The years after their exile had seen Ran grow into a tall, fierce woman, almost Tomoe's match when it came to height, yet her eyes remained the same, those voracious eyes. Her hair had grown long since her exile, its red deeper and darker. An entrancing color, a dye that had come from a foreign land whose name was lost to the Silence. It was the only indulgence Ran Mitake afforded herself; while their band grew rich on plunder and their fortress' vault gleamed with gold, Ran never used her share to buy anything, be it from the travelling merchants who were bold enough to trade with them or from their excursions into the cities at the border between Reverie and the Rosenreich where no one cared much about _where _their coin came from. _My part_, she would say when Himari questioned her, _I'm saving to rebuild House Mitake._

Tsugumi stood right behind her, as she always did. She followed her steps as she left, the way she learned from childhood. Raised a ward at Rubinrot, the Silence ate most of her memories from that time, but even if she forgot what happened, she could never forget the way she felt. Ran, ever willful, ever the defiant heir, nonetheless chose to back her father during his rebellion. Her reluctance to rule was outweighed by the rot she saw in the Rosenreich, its growing weakness and failure to rebuild when music was gone. Now nothing remained of the black and crimson of House Mitake's banners that once flew high but the colors on Ran's head. _A foolish sentimentality, _she justified, but she turned the red of rebellion into one of reminiscence.

Their troops awaited their command, greedy eyes counting coins and plunder. The courtyard was now a mess of ashes, splinters of wood and pools of blood. On Ran's orders they raised a pyre for the fallen, defenders and assailants alike. No one burned their dead, not here or anywhere in the four warring kingdoms, but Ran said it was better to burn than to rot. Best not to leave anything of you in this shit world, so that you can walk into the afterlife unburdened.

The smell of ashes and cooked flesh lingered in the air even after hours had passed. It was a smell that always followed them, now. Tsugumi misliked it, and knew Ran wasn't overly fond of it either, unlike Tomoe, who got quite carried away by slaughter. Tsugumi hoped she never got used to it, hoped it would always remain unpleasant. That way she would never forget that everything they did, no matter how violent or costly, they did so they could one day return home.

_Home. _Home was never far away. Some hours riding east would lead them past the borders of the Rosenreich. But that was not home anymore, even though nothing had changed about it. _We are the ones who changed_, she thought. At times Tsugumi found herself wondering if she would feel at ease when she returned to her home, alongside everyone. Whatever family she had was gone, lost in their failed rebellion, and now the girl who fought alongside her dear friends to overthrow the Rose Council seemed like a stranger. They believed in something, then, but it was so long ago that Tsugumi forgot. Now they fought for home, whatever that meant. She didn't know. Tsugumi prayed that, when this was all done and she could go back to the Rosenreich and _stay _there, she would remember what it was that she loved.

"You're thoughtful," Ran told her, riding by her side. "Got something in your mind?"

"No," Tsugumi said. "I was only thinking about the journey back, and how we're going to share the spoils from today. Although I already know your answer."

Ran smirked, and continued to ride onward, towards the open gates. Though Ran could always tell when Tomoe or Himari were trying to conceal their feelings - something Moca never did, of course - she lacked that gift when it came to Tsugumi. Reliable Tsugumi, sweet Tsugumi, the softest of them all… Though the love they bore for her was never in doubt, they all failed to see behind her well-rehearsed smiles. And it was better this way. The doubts that swam in her mind would not do them any good. And, Tsugumi thought, _they _must know exactly what they're fighting for. _They _must know what _home _means, because they're stronger than her. _Yes_, she thought, taking the reins of her horse and following Ran, dutiful as always. _Yes, as long as I follow, all will be fine. We'll go back home, and for good._

She always felt silly when she thought that. Going home was the easiest thing, if only they wanted to find a quiet place in the Rosenreich and settle down. They could easily disappear, and Yukina would never spare them a thought. Their exile came to an end when all the perfumed nobles of the Rose Council were hanged by the dozens. Their titles were not restored, Queen Minato claimed she could not do that, but they were free to return to the realm, under the queen's mercy… But Ran had never been one to kneel, much less one to refuse to take back all that was stolen from her.

Because, otherwise, why would they even be here?

"I hope the others are alright," Tsugumi said to Ran, riding past the gates, leaving Tateshiro behind, a smoking ruin. "The Deadlands are dangerous."

"They're fine, I'm certain," Ran said without hesitation. "Himari is reliable, and we both know nothing could ever possibly overpower Tomoe. And Moca, well… Moca won't cause them any trouble. And that's just as well. We may have failed here and lost a Melody, but Himari and the others will have a much better time. I wish we could have gotten both, so I could keep the second one, but it's fine. What matters is that we'll have a Melody to bring back to Yukina, so she won't eat my ass."

"Since when have you cared what Queen Minato says or thinks about you?" Tsugumi asked, surprised.

"I don't really give a shit about it," she said, defensive, "but so long as we are under her employ I don't want her to mistrust us for one moment, and convince her that our partnership is what's best for her. And then…"

Ran only grinned. Tsugumi didn't need to ask any further questions. There was hardly a week that went by without Ran ranting about _that cunt of a queen_ or _the cold bitch _or even _the camellia-loving whore. _And though sometimes her rage was a bit excessive, Tsugumi _never _blamed her. She knew what Yukina did. She knew _who _was the reason their rebellion failed. It was Yukina. It was Yukina who used them, betraying them all so that she would get rid of potential rivals for her own ascension. Who else could it have been? It was because of her that they lost everything.

She might have forgotten about that, walking right into the mistake of trusting them again, but they would _never _forget. One day they would tear her pretty petals one by one.

* * *

_Tsugumi had never heard Tomoe cry before, not even when she received the news of the sentence decreed to her parents for their crimes against the Council, not even when she was imprisoned and awaited her own execution, before learning that the Council's _mercy _judged that she was only a child, led astray by her treasonous family, so she could keep her head attached to her body. She didn't weep then, nor did she seem at all hurt. She was the first to walk out of the dungeons, almost proudly, as strong as the day she had been thrown there. Tomoe never cried in pain, never recoiled in fear. Tomoe had never been anything but invincible._

_She cried as she held her sister for the last time. Tsugumi couldn't bear to hear that sound, that painful cry. Though it was soft and muffled by Ako's more hysterical blabbering, hearing such a sound coming from Tomoe made Tsugumi feel like she was witnessing something she should not._

_Half a hundred soldiers had escorted them from the dungeons to the borders, bearing weapons against them as if they hadn't been starving for the past month. Coloratus was right in front of them, this place that Tsugumi had never once visited, and knew nothing about. The Council's mercy was to leave them to wither in that foreign country, to die where no one could see them. Tsugumi had given up on life when she was enveloped in the darkness of the dungeons, so even being here was more than what she expected, so what did it matter? The most painful thing, really, was having to die surrounded by friends. While Tomoe had told her that this was the best way to go, Tsugumi had to disagree. She wanted to die alone, quietly, softly falling into a tender and silent peace. Watching the ones she loved slowly die, however, was a nightmarish end. She might well be the first die, frail as she was, but that was little comfort, because the idea of her friends spending their last days watching her rot was agonizing. There was no solace to find here._

"_My lady," a guard approached Ako, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It is time to go."_

_She ignored him. She should not even be here, but her birth gave her authority over these soldiers. She was Lady Udagawa now. For not having played a part in the rebellion, she was allowed to retain her title, a kindness afforded to no one else. Even now, Ran glared at her, her eyes full of suspicion, but thankfully Tomoe could not see her. Tomoe and Ran argued frequently, that was just their way, but if Ran ever spoke against Ako, Tsugumi wouldn't be surprised if Tomoe murdered her right then and there._

_Pity, too, led the soldiers to ignore Ako's presence here. They did not want to be here, they had nothing against these exiles, and so Tsugumi couldn't blame them or hate them. It was only their duty that they did, and they had never been unkind to them, and even now she saw in their faces hints of displeasure in tearing these sisters apart._

_Tomoe and Ako's arms enveloped one another, and they lingered like that for the longest time, holding each other close, and warm. Neither of the two seemed about to let go, nor did anyone around them want to be the one to separate them for good, not now that they witnessed this heartrending farewell, but they had to. This could not last. When Tsugumi realized that no one else would do it, she took it upon herself to take hold of Tomoe's arm, and gently pull her away from her sister. Ako understood it was time to leave, and so she let go of her sister, but Tomoe still refused to. It was only on Ako's insistence that she could do so._

_Tsugumi looked away from Tomoe. She approached Ran, Moca and Himari instead, who watched from a distance. When she turned back, she saw Tomoe hurriedly wipe her tears away, and face her sister one last time._

"_You're Lady Udagawa now," she said. "A lot rests on your shoulders, but I know you can bear it. You're stronger than you think, Ako, stronger than anyone else thinks. Strong enough to walk on your own now. But, please," she began to tear up again, and looked at her own feet. "Remember me. I'll remember you, always, and you'll never leave my mind."_

"_You'll never leave mine either," Ako said, her voice full of strength and full of grief. "Y-You'll see how well I'll do on my own. You'll hear of me and know I've done great things, I swear… I swear that wherever you are, you'll hear of me and you'll be proud."_

"_I have always been proud of you," she said, leaning down to kiss her sister's forehead one last time. "And always will be. You are my treasure. Goodbye, Ako."_

"_Goodbye, sister."_

_Tomoe turned her back on Ako with a rush, running towards her companions, acting like she was not crying, but they all knew she was, and they wept as well. Tsugumi couldn't tell where exactly the border was, so she wasn't entirely sure when exactly she had left the Rosenreich, but just the thought of it sank her heart. She wanted to turn back, she wanted to wait until the soldiers escorting them were distant enough that they would not catch them when they returned… But what would they achieve by going back? Tomoe refused the notion when Himari proposed it, not wanting to endanger her sister, and Moca reminded her that they no longer had any armies, any power but their magic, their music. And even that was mostly Ran's._

_Ran. She had not said a thing ever since they departed; her footsteps fell silent on the barren land, and even her breathing was restrained. They were given no horses, almost no food and water, nothing. They were meant to wander these lands until they died, these grey wastes where Coloratus and the Rosenreich could not be distinguished. By their feet, withered vines and roots, cracks on the soil and old bones. They trod through old battlefields and past scorched fields, found the skeletons of long-abandoned villages in their way, the only kind of refuge they might find to shelter themselves from the coming night. Tsugumi couldn't tell what time it might be. The afternoon skies were often dark as dusk, and there were mornings where Tsugumi would not even realize the sun had risen, so deep was the black of the sky._

_And still Ran had not said a word. While Tomoe wept silently, Moca and Himari started conversations that went nowhere, reminiscences of years past, many of which had been reaped by the Silence, so they were only inventing memories as they spoke. _Remember when… _Those words would resound in Himari's voice, struggling to put on bravery and joy in her words, but coming off as a transparent falsehood. Tsugumi couldn't remember much of what Himari and Moca talked about, and doubted that they could. She remembered the love she had for them, knew they were inseparable from childhood, but only glimpses of the child she was remained._

"_Stop," she pleaded. "I don't want to think about these things. I don't want to pretend I remember. It's too painful. It's lost. The Silence stole it from us, and what little we had left we have just walked away from. I don't want to… I don't want to think of home, to remember what it could be. Please. Let's just…"_

_What, exactly? Let's just die? Did she even have anything to propose? She was growing dizzy, hungry. Yes, that was it. She just needed some food, some rest. She just needed-_

_She fell into Ran's arms. Tsugumi mumbled an apology, but Ran said nothing. She was as silent as before. Tsugumi looked up, and saw no tears, no frowns, nothing. Ran did not weep, nor was she desperately coping with this sad fate, and she certainly didn't stumble, weak and weary from walking aimlessly. _Aimless _was never a word that could be used to describe Ran, but right now she looked more driven than ever. Somehow, that face made Tsugu feel brave again, if only for an instant._

"_Ran…?" Tomoe approached her. "You're being strange."_

"_I'm not," she said. Were her words always this commanding, always this powerful? "It is you who is acting oddly. Crying, despairing… Why would you weep? Is something wrong?"_

"_Ran," Tsugu raised her voice, "don't… Not now."_

"_We haven't lost," said Ran. "You're weeping as though we have been broken, as though we are defeated forever… Stop that. That maudlin scene, your sorrowful farewell… That's not you, Tomoe. And falling, defeated and weak… That's not Tsugumi. Despair and denial are unfitting of Himari and Moca. So you're all strange to me. You don't have to cry. That was not goodbye. You'll see your sister again. We'll go back home. I have no doubt of that, so I will not shed a single tear."_

"_What can we do?" Tomoe asked. "We have nothing."_

"_I have my Voice," Ran declared. "And I have a will that is still unbroken. This is a setback. Everything that was taken from us… We'll take it all back, and destroy those who cast us out, down to the last man. They shall be the ones to cry, the ones to scream, suffer and die. Our families…" She made a fist, so hard that her hand trembled, and to Tsugumi it seemed close to snapping. "We cannot bring them back. And that is enough reason not to despair, because we've spilled too much blood in the Rosenreich already. To give up would be to say it was all in vain, so if any of you means to do so, I will kill you right now."_

_None of them said a word. The threat was empty, only Ran's pride and bravado, but as she uttered it, something about her changed before Tsugumi's eyes. Whatever it was, she could not put it into words. A fire, a rage, a loathing, but more than could be measured, more than could be described. Here stood the girl who had never wanted to be a lady, the woman who screamed at her father, promising that she would never lead House Mitake, that her life was her own. That much had never changed, because even when she fought for House Mitake, Ran never let her destiny out of her own hands._

"_I remember our banners being torn," Ran said. "Burned as a display of force, to erase our names and colors. I saw my flag burned to show the world the name _Mitake _was gone, saw the red lightning turn to ash, the black around it naught but cinders. I saw the colors of all who fought and bled to change the Rosenreich, to put an end to the stagnation of a Council preoccupied only with eternalizing itself. House Udagawa was spared the flame, but only because of Ako. As for the rest of us, we all witnessed our families being wiped out… And yet, there I did not see the camellia of Minato burn."_

"_Do you mean…?" Tsugumi knew Ran had her suspicions, yet this still surprised her. Yukina's father had fought alongside them, and died there._

"_A flower is a frail thing. That the fires would avoid the garden is most curious. And those bitches by her side, Shirokane and Hikawa, who chose to remain neutral and only had much to gain, no matter who won. Their armies unbloodied, they find themselves amidst a garden where they now have plenty of space to spread their roots."_

"_Rinko is my sister's close friend," Tomoe protested. "If Ako trusts her, then we should, too."_

"_No," Ran insisted. "Why do you think she was allowed to remain there, truly? Because she can be controlled. Because she can be corrupted. Tomoe, instead of blindly trusting Shirokane because of your sister's love, consider this: do you truly want your sister surrounded by snakes? No one who keeps company with Sayo Hikawa is to be trusted. She who did not hesitate to banish her own sister from her home…"_

"_That's a rumor," Tsugumi pointed out._

"_That's the truth," Ran would not be convinced of the contrary. When she had put an idea in her head and decided to hate someone, she would carry that spite to the grave. And yet Tsugumi found herself wanting to agree. They only had one another, now. They had to stick together. "I love Ako. You know I do. And that is why I don't want her near those people. Our fight is not over. There is still much to be done. I don't know how long it will take, but we will reclaim all we've lost. We will kill those who betrayed us, and we will go home again. Will you stand by my side? Will you trust me, and will you do whatever it takes?"_

_All in one voice, the four said _yes_._

"_Then let us torch the world, and show it what it means to burn."_

* * *

With a song in her heart, Rinko felt the steel before her, slender fingers sliding down the metal with grace and deftness. Pale, they motioned in circles around the plate, first in the chest, then making their way down to the greaves. It was slow, delicate work, and she had been at it all morning, holed up in her study, all windows closed, the chamber lit up only by magical lights of her own making, always gleaming with a perfect brightness that her eyes found quite agreeable. As the lights shone in soft blue, the trace of a melody filled her study.

The steel, too, sang; folds of black and purple ran across it, responding to Rinko's slightest movement until the metal was so rippled that it could almost be mistaken for the surface of a lake. It took great concentration to maintain the metal in that easily-molded form, but Rinko's focus was immaculate. The steel turned to liquid and hovered around her fingers, and followed her command as she shaped it to her desires. She had worked on this suit of armor - and the four others like it - for two weeks now, constantly reinforcing the plate with spells, inscribing runes inside it then concealing them so that she could engrave new ones. Slow work, demanding of great patience, but Rinko didn't mind. She found it pleasant to be able to stay here and work all by herself, undisturbed by anyone unwanted. It was peaceful and quiet here, and silence was dear to Rinko.

Scattered along the floor were dented swords and shattered spears, all broken to ensure that these ordinary weapons could do no harm to the metal. Not a scratch blemished it, but the perfectly smooth surface was unsightly in its own way. That just would not do; Rinko's fingers shaped the greaves into a long skirt, its frills so intricate that the metal seemed almost unable to withstand it. But it would bend to her will. It would be shameful for a princess of the Rosenreich to fail to reach perfection, so Rinko's will made a masterpiece of the metal. The colors did not take as well as she would like, so some white and silver remained, but her magic had altered the steel so much that it now looked like soft silken fabric. The skirt flowed as she touched it, though it remained sturdy, unbreakable. An ornate dress, though as good as any armor, if not better. Something fit for royalty.

Now all that remained were the flourishes. The colors she could fix later, easily, so now her fingers and her song commanded the metal to take even more complex shapes. She molded a rose on the chestplate, and from a chest full of gems she summoned forth half a hundred sapphires. They floated delicately towards the armor, and promptly placed themselves along the rose engravings. She breathed deep, tired, and sat down by her desk, struggling to find space for her aching arms to rest amidst all the scattered books. Some of the tomes were old works that predated the Silence and spoke of the old spells that the witch-muses worked on their attire, whereas others were beautiful tales of chivalry that recounted a time now lost, a time of knights and songs and the maidens who lent them their voices. And even more were works that had just arrived from the north, confiscated from merchants who came from Reverie hoping to sell them to the Rosenreich's libraries.

But by what right did they try to Rinko what was already hers? This old and forbidden knowledge was to be preserved here in Dornengarten. Rinko's library acquired seventeen new volumes, and the world was rid of eight thieves, all of them delivered to Ako.

_I still have to organize these, _Rinko said, thoughtlessly opening the one closest to her, a ponderous volume on the lands beyond the ocean, of which Rinko had no recollection. Some place called Kotimaa, though she couldn't even begin to imagine what it could be like. Most likely it was the same miserable wasteland as everywhere else. She closed the book, disinterested. Whatever this Kotimaa was, and wherever it stood, perhaps someday the Rosenreich might claim it as well. But that would be later. Now, she had work to do, presents to offer to the four women to whom she bequeathed her heart, her fellow princesses and her queen. Just thinking of them made her smile, and made her wish they could be together again. _Soon_, she knew. She rose, refreshed, and, moving past her numerous bookshelves, reached a locked chest, one bereft of a key; only her magical touch could open it.

Cautiously, she took one of the Melodies stored inside. A small, softly humming purple jewel, this one was for Ako. Quiet as its song was, it was full of energy, and just holding it made Rinko forget she had been working for hours already. There were others, too. Rhodonite for Princess Imai, diamonds white as snow for Queen Minato, amethysts for her and Princess Hikawa… And others, too, only some of the many Melodies the Rosenreich had collected in the past few years. Rings and diadems, necklaces and a silver tiara for the queen, all awaited Melodies of their own. Though they were a bit too ornate, Queen Minato said that was exactly the point. Their blood and station put them above all others, and nobility had to be distinguished. _We shall claim the world,_ she had told Rinko. _I don't care for gilding myself, but ours is a destiny so high that to our lessers we must be unreachable. Let all gaze up at us and see this world's true power. _Once, Rinko would have had trouble believing that, but now she knew her worth, a pristine blossom chosen by the one true queen, whose Voice surpassed all others.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Annoyed, she waved a hand and opened the door, revealing a servant behind. Rinko set the Melodies back inside their chest, locked it, and stepped towards the insolent woman disturbing her. Rinko had never seen her before, though, admittedly, she didn't pay much mind to the faces of Dornengarten's servants. The woman was more beautiful than what Rinko imagined a lowborn should look, and younger too. She must be new here. Sighing, Rinko chose not to reprimand her too harshly.

"Have you not been informed that you are not to disturb me?" She asked the girl, who stared wide-eyed at her. It was almost cute, really. She probably didn't even know what a book was, hence her astonishment. "I have important work to do, and having to talk to serfs makes me uncomfortable. Please leave me alone and seek someone else to trouble with whatever mindless concern it is that brought you here."

"Forgive me, my lady," she said, almost shaking. _My lady. _She really is a newcomer, and thoughtless as well. Correcting her was more trouble than Rinko considered it worth it, and each second in her presence only heightened her distress, so she wanted to be done with this and shut herself in her study again. "It is important. Princess Imai has returned, and Princess Hikawa as well."

"Together?" Happy news, and cause to be glad. It had been so long since the two had set out, and Rinko sorely missed them.

"They met on the road," the woman explained, as though Rinko cared to hear her words. "All the princesses have been summoned by Queen Minato."

"Very well," Rinko said, walking past the woman. As an afterthought, she looked back at her and gave another order. "Close the door for me. Then don't bother me again."

She did not bother to look back, so eager she was to reunite with everyone. Though Ako and Queen Minato both dwelled in Dornengarten, the former was even more busy than Rinko, and the queen, of course, had so many concerns of her own that Rinko hesitated to seek her only for the pleasure of her company. Of course Yukina would have accepted and enjoyed her presence, for Rinko was one of the only four people the queen had marked as an equal, but when everyone was so preoccupied with war and internal affairs, Rinko felt she had no right to dally.

Wherever she went, heads bowed before her; servants, guards and knights alike, and even the few courtiers from lesser noble houses that had wisely chosen to pledge their loyalty to Queen Minato. Rinko had never bothered learning their names, as she tried her very hardest to never leave her study, that sheltered cloister where she could be undisturbed, and left to her own matters. She misliked the crowds of the halls of great castles and of feasts and tournaments, so she was doubly glad to serve a queen who wasted no time with such trifles.

Stairs led down to the throne room; its ceiling was distant beyond reach, its windows were stained glass that drank the pale light of the sun and turned it into bright red, and the way to the dais where the throne stood was lengthy, and black pillars cast great shadows as they loomed over Rinko. More than two thousand could be hosted in these halls, perhaps even three thousand, yet when Yukina crowned herself, only her princesses bore witness. _I need no one else,_ she said, then, one of the rare occasions where she smiled. A smile of satisfaction and victory, and the happiness of sharing it with those she loved.

Now they stood before her once again, by the steps to the throne, that huge seat of dark stone and covered by roses whose long vines spread all over the dais. Yukina, seated there, appeared as large as the throne, a presence so imposing that even now she made Rinko struggle for breath. But even when she stood directly before her, Yukina's very bearing was overwhelming in the most beautiful ways; though a short woman, standing only slightly taller than Ako, she demanded attention and deference. White hair cascaded down her back, as immaculate as every single aspect of her.

It was only after Yukina that Rinko noticed Sayo and Lisa, and Ako between the two. Lisa grinned, and was the first to approach Rinko to embrace her tightly, warmly, and to lightly kiss her forehead.

"I missed you dearly," Lisa told her. "Goodness, you look so pale. When was the last time you left the study?"

"A long time," Rinko said what was plain to see. "There is much to be done, for all of us. I take it that your return means the two of you succeeded?"

"Had I failed, I would never dare return," Sayo said. "But that, of course, was never a possibility," she said, finally showing the hint of a smile as she walked towards Rinko. "Princess Shirokane," she took Rinko's hand, and kissed it. "I'm certain you too have made great strides in my absence."

"You don't… You don't have to be so formal," Rinko said, her cheeks warm. "It's alright, Princess Hikawa, I-"

"Hm? You always say that, and yet we always use the same words," Sayo said. "It is only proper, after all. Titles do not exist by happenstance, nor are they to be disregarded."

"You're always like this, Sayo," Ako whined, rubbing her knuckles together the way she always did; it had been cute, once, when she was younger, but now that she was a woman grown there was something very unfitting about the gesture. "There's nobody here but the five of us, so it should not matter."

"It always matters," said Sayo, before turning towards her queen once more. "Princess Udagawa is correct, though. We have all gathered here as you've commanded, my queen."

"The last time we were all together was…" Yukina paused to remember. "Four months ago? Five? Somewhere around that. You were each tasked with a mission of great importance, and I'd like to hear what you've accomplished. Lisa, if you will."

"Our fortresses in key points of the borders were reinforced," she said, "and my troops hunted down the last monster dwellings in the realm, at least the ones we know of. We also won some minor skirmishes at the northern Suilen borders, but nothing that allowed us to gain any ground. Still, we are as ready for war as we could be, and ready to defend ourselves as well."

"Good," said the queen. "You'll command the armies guarding the border with Reverie to march south, to garrison along the western borders, to stand guard against Coloratus and Suilen. We have no cause to fear Reverie."

Rinko was startled. There was _always _cause to fear Reverie and its mad queen, and weakening the defenses at the border was a gesture that was unlikely to be repeated by Kokoro Tsurumaki. There was no telling what she could do, capricious as she was, so trying to find common cause with her was like building on sand.

"Are you certain?" Lisa asked her, concerned. "I was not informed of this as I was away… Do you seek to approach Reverie? Is that wise?"

"I have nothing to say about the wisdom of it," said Yukina, "but it is necessary all the same. We are outnumbered, and severely outmatched where it comes to resources. Time will destroy us if we do not act, and to act we need allies to tip the scales."

"You make it sound like the Rosenreich is weak," Ako protested. "We are not so outmatched as you would have us think, the balance of power is even, it has always been."

"No," Yukina declared. "You may see the situation as the four kingdoms being matched, and that is why we cannot ever make any real progress, but our goal is _triumph_, and that means we are losing. Because the Rosenreich is one realm, whereas Reverie, Coloratus and Suilen are three. With each day that passes for us, it is as if three pass for them. They may be divided, but to our purposes, that makes no matter. They must all fall before us, and for that we need an advantage. We will open our borders as a display of friendship to Queen Tsurumaki. I will invite us to visit us to discuss terms of alliance, and I doubt she'll accept, because that would be reckless, so when she refuses I shall go to Reverie."

"That is too dangerous," Sayo said. "Let me go in your place, if it's necessary. You mustn't risk yourself so, travelling to a foreign land…"

"So why should you risk yourself?" Yukina asked. "I expected it would be clear by now that though the crown rests upon my head, we are equals. This is my endeavor, so I will risk my own life. Because if I'm not willing to do so, I don't deserve victory. All the same, let us proceed. Sayo, how is the situation in the east?"

"Dealt with," she said, plainly, and from a bag she clutched three gleaming gemstones that hummed as she held them. She offered them to Queen Minato, who inspected them with cold, emotionless eyes. "In the marshlands I found thieves who thought they had a right to keep Melodies of their own, and called themselves mages. I have brought them with me, tied and gagged, as you ordered, and I had them sent to the dungeons with the others."

_The others_. Rinko wondered how many they were, how many witches and wizards they had found and arrested over the past years. Almost thirty, almost all of them taken by Sayo, for there was no music that could escape the notice of the Grand Inquisitor.

"Speaking of the dungeons," Ako began, "I'm going to need some more captives sent to me. And alive, this time."

"Alive?" The queen tilted her head. "Is it not death which you study? How goes that?"

"Well, of course," Ako said, defensive, "I've made great progress with the binding of sinew and stitching of limbs, and I've even had a promising experiment some weeks ago where I actually managed to bind a soul, but that was just by chance… I was performing necromantic rituals, and I just happened to call forth a soul, on accident."

"Odd," said Sayo. "Weeks ago, you say? Well, that likely means nothing. People die all the time. Still, it's good that you're making progress with your studies."

"Right," she smiled, always appreciating a compliment from Sayo. "But I don't want to half-ass it, so I'm experimenting a lot, which means I need a great deal of, erm, subjects. And I would like to further inquire about the nature of souls, because I think it's a promising line of work… And, well… You're all aware that the physicians of Coloratus and Suilen study the dead to understand the nature of life… But there is much to learn about the nature of death - as well as that of undeath - by studying life. Specifically, the boundary between the two, that veil I have only started to uncover."

"Very well," said Queen Minato. "You'll have the pick of the dungeons, save for the mages captured by Sayo, of course."

The dungeons of Dornengarten were always full, and almost everyone there deserved it. Crime was punished swiftly in the Rosenreich, and as Queen Yukina was not one to waste any resources, she sent the prisoners to Ako, so that she might advance her necromantic arts. Though both Rinko and Lisa found it rather disturbing, and Sayo found it an unreliable sort of magic, Yukina was quite interested in the possibilities it offered.

"As to my work," Rinko said, preferring not to linger on the topic of morgues and dead men, "the books I was given have been, for the most part, organized. There were some musical runes to be deciphered, though that will be a lengthy task. And the spell you have asked me to investigate…" She turned to Ako. "I found traces of its existence, just as you had before, but it appears to be a tremendously complicated song, from the bits of it that I've been able to recover from secondary sources…"

"We expected it to be difficult," said the queen. "I have not ordered you to practice day after day so that you could perform a simple piece that any thief of our arts can attempt… It will be demanding, yes, and that is but a trifle. What other steps must we take to recover this song?"

"Many," said Rinko, "and first of all is the recovery of other books or tablets wherein I might decipher the runes. It's likely that they will be damaged, but that won't be a problem. I've managed to transcribe runes from a book Ako handed to me, and that one had been recovered from a fire. There's the Melody we'll need, too, but that's just a matter of gaining access to it… Princess Hikawa, if you have the time, I'd like to show you some of the leads I've acquired, mentions of other tomes and catalogues of musical compositions…"

"Of course. I'll seek them when I can, now that there are no more mages to seek in the realm. If they are beyond our borders, however, we may have complications…"

"We will not," said Yukina. "By now Tateshiro will have fallen at the hands of Ran Mitake, so the way into Suilen is open. We may mobilize soon, so I would like Lisa to have the troops at the ready. I cannot tell when exactly we shall make our move, but we need to be ready to seize an opportunity which may soon arise."

"Ah," Sayo looked enigmatically at the queen. "Indeed we ought to be prepared, but are you certain you'll include the Mitake girl in your plots? She is not one for cautious thoughts and actions, nor one to be entrusted with secrets."

"Just as with Queen Tsurumaki, I need her more than I trust her. Ran mistrusts me as well, yet just like our fathers before us, we must work together to achieve our goals. Her Voice is, unfortunately, necessary."

"I don't like the sound of this," Rinko raised her voice, for she felt it was important enough to defy her queen. "Ran… Ran is unpredictable, and she may jeopardize all our plans. As she did before."

The queen rose. There was no anger in her eyes - there never was any warmth in them, for that matter, only a wintry cold - but even now this remained a subject that could _almost _force a reaction out of the stoic Yukina. She walked down the steps to face her princesses as an equal, and looked up directly at Rinko.

"More than anyone else," she said, "I know Ran to be an unsightly and treacherous animal, and worse than that, an idiot. She is the one to blame for all that was lost… Her father was foolish enough to want her by his side, and even more foolish to accept her disastrous advice. More fool I, to trust her. But not again. Now she will play her part but will have no say in anything. After all these years, she must be desperate to return. I summoned her to visit Dornengarten when she was done, and there we will make our preparations."

"Tomoe…" Ako said, eager. "She will come as well, right? I've missed her terribly."

"Of course she will," Yukina said, and those words at once brought a smile to Ako's lips. "If she wished, she could have returned already, so when you meet again, you may question her why she chose her friends over you."

"She had a good reason," Ako said, seemingly completely oblivious to Yukina's harsh words. "It doesn't matter what she did and chose then, what matters is what happens now."

"I'll ask that you remain in Dornengarten until I hear from Queen Tsurumaki," said Queen Minato. "This time…" She made a fist. "This time we shall not fail. We will be well-prepared now, and finish what we started. Years ago, we were forced back from Coloratus, but now we have learned from our mistakes. You may go, now. I'm sure you'll enjoy some rest," she said to Lisa and Sayo, "and I won't deprive you of that, but by sunset I'll want you back here so that we may, together, give life to the runes that Rinko has deciphered. And then…" She struggled with the words, and in those moments her regal strength gave way to a beautiful softness. "I would like to feast with you all. It has been far too long."

"It has," Lisa nodded. "I've grown tired of having stew each and every day, so something with taste is very welcome. I think the next time, I'll have some of the palace cooks accompany the army. That was a joke," she laughed, explaining herself before Sayo could reprehend her.

Yukina was the first to depart, now that these matters had been resolved. There were things she had told Sayo, Rinko realized, things that she did not share with the others. But she didn't mind being kept in the dark, sometimes. She trusted both Queen Minato and Princess Hikawa with her life, and they trusted her in return, so if they wanted secrecy, Rinko understood it was for the best. Ako, however, was more curious, but soon her pestering of Sayo was interrupted as Lisa told her she had uncovered new spells that recovered damage done to a living body, and would like to learn its effects on the dead. Ako was always interested in learning about new magic, so soon the two were off, headed downstairs to Ako's laboratories.

And that left Rinko alone with Princess Hikawa. Always a pleasant opportunity, even more so now that Rinko had overcome most of her shyness around her companions. Once, she would stutter when approaching Sayo, and fear those judgmental eyes of hers, but now she had learned that those eyes had only ever judged her beautiful and strong. Now she felt comfort when she gazed upon them.

"Princess Hikawa," she said. "I will take you to my study, if you'll follow me. I have… A present."

"Hm? You needn't have concerned yourself with anything for me," she said. Rinko didn't have the heart to tell her that she had made armor for all five of them. "But I appreciate it, Princess Shirokane."

"It was no trouble," she retorted. "You should learn to accept presents or compliments, just as you must learn to just call me Rinko."

"Princess Rinko Shirokane," Sayo smirked, then extended an arm, "show me the way."

Sighing, Rinko did as she was asked. Sayo always won these exchanges, and if Sayo insisted on always being so unfailingly formal, Rinko would continue to love her for it.

They shared pleasant conversation as they made their way together, though mostly it was Sayo who did the talking, as Rinko had little to say, having locked herself away in her study for so long. Even so, Sayo never failed to show interest when Rinko told her of the books she had read, and the magic she had learned and hoped to play together with everyone. There was always honesty in Sayo's words, and she was not one to pretend to care for something for the sake of another's feelings. As blunt and harsh as she could sometimes be, that only made her kindness more resonant.

When they finally reached the study, however, something was odd; the door was not locked as Rinko had ordered, but only half-open. _Incompetent servant_, she thought of the girl she had met before, but for Sayo's sake she chose to disregard it. She could not, however, disregard it when, after opening the door, she found the same servant girl inside, underneath the azure glint of magical lights.

"Wha-?" Sayo began, but before she could say any more the girl lifted her hand and a loud, violent melody filled the room. Runes wreathed around the girl's wrists as she prepared to attack, but Princess Hikawa quickly put an end to that, waving a hand and silencing the noise. Confused, the woman tried to conjure a spell again, but failed. There was no magic that could overcome Sayo's strength and her command over silence. While her own magic was competent enough, above all else she excelled in nullifying the music of others. "What is this woman doing here?"

"Stealing," Rinko said; the woman carried books with her, and stood next to the desk where Rinko worked on deciphering old runes. "I'll dispose of her," she said, and upon her command, vines encircled the woman's neck, squeezing, but then, softly, Sayo placed a hand on Rinko's shoulder, and silence fell upon her, too. "Princess Hikawa?"

"Most curious, that _she _would be here," if Sayo expected Rinko to recognize someone, she was in error. "Were you not able to tell who she was? She has a distinctive face, and no servant could ever have such fine skin… I've met her years ago on a visit to Suilen, when we were at peace."

"I'm bad with faces, and don't get out much," Rinko justified herself.

"Was it Queen Chiyu that sent you here?" Sayo approached the woman, who remained silent. "I suppose it would be naive of me to expect you to answer, but I question how desperate Suilen must be to send one of its own high nobles to spy on a rival kingdom…"

"Is that not how your queen uses you?" The woman spat out, defiant. "Not all of us are content with staying holed up inside our castles waiting for the Silence to eat us."

"Well said. Princess Shirokane," she turned to Rinko, "have our guards escort Lady Yuri Ushigome to quarters wherein she might be confined. You shall be treated kindly, my lady, but there is much I must ask you."


	5. The Voice of Peace

Underneath the dark sky, a long line of wains made its way across the border, ponderously and silently. Though there was no one nearby to intercept them, Kanon remained concerned. Living surrounded by careless people taught her to see anxiety as self-preservation, and thus far it had not failed her. She sent scouts on ahead, to inspect the woods of Coloratus for rangers in hiding, and when they returned they found none to bar the army's path. Still Kanon ordered the supply train to move onward slowly. She could never rest easy in enemy territory, and it was not only her supplies that concerned her. She looked behind, and could not see an end to the wains. In addition to grain and meat, salt and plenty of water, bread and steel and spare weapons, each wagon was guarded by half a dozen spearmen, and two soldiers guided the horses. Losing the supplies would be a hard blow against Reverie, but to lose these soldiers would be disastrous.

This mission was Kokoro's idea, to tell the truth. Kanon would have been contented to continue to guard the borders, but the queen said that stagnation was the sister of defeat, whatever that meant. Coloratus and Suilen are growing closer, Kokoro said, and the Rosenreich's alliance was still uncertain. The reasoning was solid enough, Kanon couldn't deny: much of the wealth of Reverie and the Rosenreich had found its way into Suilen through trade, to the point that Kokoro considered forbidding their merchants to enter the country, but they depended on Suilen's fine steel and the horses bred there. As for Coloratus, in the past years many silver mines had been found and started being explored, while others were reclaimed from the grasp of monsters. Time was against them. But that was always Kokoro's mindset. Time was the greatest enemy, eater of possibilities, and only haste could combat it. It was not Kanon's way, but for the sake of her queen, her country, her people, she obeyed.

Besides, it kept her mind from thinking of Misaki. She had been absent for far too long. Her duties often led her far from home, but she would always return, and the first thing she would do when she was back at Solcrown was to seek Kokoro. But this time the queen awaited her for over three months, and there was no sign of her. Kanon understood what it meant, though Kokoro refused to accept it, and Hagumi and Kaoru were more than happy to feed her hopeful delusions. But Misaki was gone. She would have talked Kokoro out of this bold endeavor if she had been by her side, but Kanon always bent to her queen's will, and as of late she couldn't find the strength to argue. She only did as she was bid, and found a small measure of comfort in work.

She saw the palisades ahead, shrouded by the dark, and the precarious gate by their side. Their destination. She ordered her lieutenant to take two divisions with him and enter the village. Long since abandoned by Coloratus, Reverie's spies found traces of monsters dwelling within those walls, and when they brought word of it to Kokoro, and informed her that, as Coloratus had begun to focus its strength inwards, to vanquish the lairs of beasts, it had abandoned much of the borderlands, not worth defending, as Reverie hadn't made a serious offensive in a while. Kanon misliked the sound of that, and feared a trap, but the queen was eager to break the stalemate they found themselves in for months. And so soldiers and supplies were sent south, to claim this village for Reverie, a fortress from which they could operate inside Coloratus. A risky endeavor, but Kanon's scouts had long since learned to find breaches in Coloratus' borderposts. They made their way unseen, undisturbed, skulking through the overgrown woods where, fortunately, no dangers dwelled but bloodworms, and they left the convoy undisturbed, their habits solely diurnal.

Two hundred soldiers entered the village, and when they returned, an hour later, their swords were bloodied and their leather bore the marks of claws and fangs and things Kanon preferred not to think about. The beasts within were vanquished, the lieutenant told her, but his fearful eyes revealed that not all was well. Kanon knew what it meant, and she hated having to ask the question, but it was her duty.

"Our losses?"

"Nineteen," he said, somber. _Too many. _This village was not worth nineteen lives, nineteen souls fed to abominations. It always hurt whenever she lost a single soldier, and it was something Kanon had never gotten used to. "Four wounded, but in no danger. Shall I order the convoy to enter the village?"

"First have the monsters burned," Kanon warned. "If left to rot, they may unleash rank vapors. And have the medics preserve the dead, after they tend to the wounded, so that they may be sent back to Reverie. I'll make arrangements that they are returned to their hometowns."

He nodded, and delivered her orders. Kanon would write the letters herself, she decided - not that there were many others here who could read or write, anyways. She wondered, always, what comfort she had to offer. A piece of paper meant little to peasants who never learned how to read, though Reverie's messengers had a small understanding of letters, enough that they could give voice to them, and make them understood. And though Kanon couldn't possibly remember the names of all who served under her, struggling even with her direct underlings, she kept records of everyone who joined the armies of Reverie.

It was a luxury she would not know anywhere else, for Reverie was unique among the continent's realms in that the entirety of its forces was composed of a standing army, paid for its services. Whereas the other kingdoms did maintain permanent forces at the borders, and kept some guards and patrols, when time came to wage war they levied the commoners, sometimes with the promise of plunder but usually through the unspoken threat of force. But not Reverie. In Reverie, war did not force farmers off their lands; though the mines of the country, that once supplied its wealth, were completely taken by monsters, Reverie didn't know the famines of Coloratus and the Rosenreich, despite seeing its riches deplete more and more with each year that passed. The immense fortune of the House of Tsurumaki was used to pay the wages of young men and women who saw in Reverie's armies a chance to better their stations, or to simply provide for their families.

And now all they brought back to their homes were caskets and a letter of apology. Their families would lose their sons and daughters, and though they went to war to care for their parents, their brothers and sisters, now that they were gone they could no longer be there to tend to the harvest, to watch over their fathers and their mothers when they grew old. Though, just as likely, they had no one to come home to. The world consumed by the Silence was a world where none could ever grow old, a world where families shattered and meant little for those outside of nobility. Death and worse fell upon the longest-lived first of all, they who had known more music than the young, and thus felt its absence more harshly, and were destroyed. Reverie was a land of orphans and lost children, as though everything that belonged in the past was swept away alongside the music they once knew. Kanon was lucky to still have a family, parents and a brother, but she was the exception.

The thought that there might be no one to receive the dead was even more depressing than the idea of parents burying their children. Sick to her stomach, Kanon rode into the village, and inside found the dead laid next to one another, some so violently butchered they could barely be recognized as human. The monsters were even more numerous, although, piled up in a corner, Kanon couldn't begin to count them. They appeared to meld as one grotesque beast, dozens of limbs beneath the heavy bodies, but an absence of eyes, and fangs spread over their forms so erratically that there was no telling where their mouths could be. A sickening sight, one that, just as death, never got any easier to witness. _Is this what we are, devoid of our humanity? Lumps of flesh, writhing tentacles, a meld of beasts and horrors? _Kanon dismounted from her horse, and oversaw the transportation of supplies, as well as the burning of the fiends.

First came the wagons with gold, mainly in bars, but some of Coloratus's mintage as well, acquired through trade. They would linger in this place for long, or at least that was the plan, and the agents Kanon brought with her would need the country's proper currency to infiltrate its cities. And, of course, they would require supplies in the coming months, as they expanded their operations inside Coloratus, in preparation for an actual offensive. Though Kokoro's plan had been hasty, Kanon could at least guarantee that it would proceed cautiously, slowly. Little by little, their grip on the borderlands would tighten, as well as all the resources within. _Like a parasite, _she thought, with some revulsion. The sight and the stench of death made her feel less than human, less distant to those abominations than she would like. She thought of the leech-infested swamps in the heart of Reverie, how those creatures sucked the very life out of the earth, spreading death and expanding the swamps. Some of those leeches were twisted animals, but the largest and vilest were once men.

_Ours is a fate of parasitism, of predation and of cannibalism. Without our music, without our light and our hearts, we slowly lose ourselves. _But this had to be done. Reverie would die if it did not feed on Coloratus, on Suilen. _We are not like the bandits of the south_, Kanon told herself, because she knew herself to be better than mere brigands, purer than the exiles from the Rosenreich. Their plunder, their wars, their subterfuge, it was all worth it, because Reverie, and nowhere else, was worth fighting for. She turned back to face the dead, and breathed in deep the smell of flesh. A village was not worth nineteen dead, but Reverie was. Because if she was wrong, then they had died for nothing, and Kanon would never accept that. They died for Reverie, the last hope of the world; Kokoro's grandiose dream, born from her mind that still knew colors and sounds, and who would never allow the world to forget. Fools proclaimed her mad for it, but Kanon knew the truth.

_It is the truth that Misaki died for_. So it had to be worth it. She counted the wains as they arrived, and gave her soldiers leave to rest when they were done with their work; they set the supplies inside old, abandoned homes, some still full of furniture that was devoured by termites, and food that had spoiled years ago. But the worst smell was that of the burning monsters.

Burning. She wanted to hit herself. Kanon ran back outside and ordered the flames to be put out. How could she be such a careless fool? The blazes would denounce they were here. So concerned she was with her lost soldiers and with making sure they had a proper end that she failed to consider the dangers of fire. _Clumsy, foolish, anxious Kanon… _She thought she had gotten better about this in the past years, but each new failure opened all her old wounds.

She scrambled to find a solution, told herself that a few minutes of burning could never alert anyone, and that this region of Coloratus was entirely deserted… Yet that did not reassure her in the slightest. She hurried past the open gate, and to her despair saw that the convoy still stretched into the darkened distance, and it would still be hours before all the wagons were safe behind the palisades. If that could even count as safety.

Kanon signaled for her scouts to ascertain that they had not brought about an enemy's notice on them, more to assuage her own concerns than anything else. _We are far from Coloratus's grasp_, she told herself, _and these lands may well enough be so entirely unspied that the flames would not be noticed… _She wasn't sure she believed that, but she _wanted _to. She had made a mistake, but it needn't cost her or her soldiers. If there was no one there to notice the mistake, then it might not have happened at all…

Such hopes were soon snuffed out when a breathless girl returned from her scouting, galloping back to the gates at full tilt, her brow drenched with sweat. Kanon's heart sunk. _My fault. My fault, and mine alone… _Before even hearing what it was that her scout had found, she screamed orders, had the convoy's guards and riders leave behind their wagons and rush for shelter past the palisades.

"What have you seen?"

"Not much that I could tell," the girl explained, shaking, trying to give voice to her words even as she faltered from exhaustion and fear. "Behind the darkness, behind the trees, I caught a glimpse of the banners of Coloratus, a flash of steel, and figures in the midst of the woods. Many, far more than I could count. More than we can match. And, leading them, the Lady Wakamiya, the foreigner…"

Sickened, Kanon wanted to apologize, but that would only make her even more foolish than she already was, and, besides, something didn't fit, she realized as the last of her soldiers had stepped past the gate and she ordered it shut. It well might be that the fire would call the attention of Coloratus, but for them to march to this village so quickly, they had to be nearby already…

She wondered then if perhaps they should not have run back instead of cowering behind these walls, right where Eve wanted them. It was not by chance that they had been able to sneak past the border posts. They were allowed past, so that they could be caught here with nowhere to run. Kanon had judged herself clever for finding a weakness in the enemy's defenses, but she had only blundered into a disaster.

Heavy footsteps grew louder, coming from all sides. Reverie's soldiers drew their weapons and readied their arrows, but while this village made for a fine hiding place, it was ill-equipped to withstand an assault. The only high ground for archers was a lone watchtower by the southern palisades, and they offered no protection at all. Kanon moved past the archers, and, standing atop the watchtower, nearly falling down as she made her way up, she saw all the figures in the dark, surrounding the village. They could win, maybe. It would not be impossible, if they made good use of the terrain, funnelling the enemy through the narrow gate, because while the wooden palisade was too frail to be considered a proper defense, the sharpened points would made it a great ordeal to climb past them in a timely fashion. When arrows began to rain on them, their cramped surroundings would make them easy targets, but there was a chance, at least, Kanon believed… And then she turned to see the nineteen figures along the dead, brown grass. Her failure.

"Raise a flag of surrender," Kanon ordered. Her troops stared at her like she had gone mad, but when she repeated the command, no one questioned her. "Open the gates for Lady Wakamiya. I will not risk a fight our enemy seems eager to walk into."

"My lady," her lieutenant dared raise his voice in protest, "to lose this position would be-"

"It was never ours to begin with," Kanon said. "Go on. You shall not be punished for this. I will take full responsibility, and ensure you can all walk away. Now go."

He went. All around, the troops began to lay down their weapons, as demanded of a surrendering party, but behind their anxiety Kanon saw hints of relief. Even the most valorous soldier would find it a daunting prospect, fighting an uncertain battle for no gain, all for the sake of the designs of a queen they had never met. Kanon knew that Kokoro was someone worth fighting for, but these men and women did not. She was hesitant to send them to die, to make nineteen become five hundred. When the gates opened and Eve Wakamiya stepped into the village with no trace of fear, Kanon Matsubara was there to meet her, and laid her spear at the feet of the enemy commander. If she did not know of Eve's reputation as a peerless swordswoman and skilled tactician, Kanon would not have guessed that this gentle woman was the Terror of the Snows, undefeated in the field since rising to the rank of High Commander of Coloratus. She saw nothing worthy of terror in her calm visage: though a fearsome foe, the tales of Eve's mastery with a blade were entwined with whispers of her valor and her honor. Were it anyone else, Kanon might not have opened the gates. But, after she put her spear by Wakamiya's feet, Eve returned the gesture by letting her own sword fall to the ground.

"Lady Matsubara."

"Lady Wakamiya," Kanon swallowed her fear. "I have heard tales of your honor, and your worth as a true knight. I see now that they are true. Thank you for heeding my call."

"I am no knight," she said. "Only those who claim Coloratus as their birthplace may receive the queen's silver crest, and I would never renounce my beloved Kotimaa, far beyond the howling waves. I thank you for your words, however. You, too, are as wise as I have been told. Few would choose to avoid a bloodbath."

Wise, or craven? Kanon did not know. Eve's words were gentle enough, but she was still an enemy, and her courtesy only meant so much. Kanon chose not to waste any time.

"I mean to ransom these soldiers," she declared. "We have brought gold with us, and will use it as payment. Is that of your pleasing?"

Eve nodded, slowly, pensive. It was too generous an offer, that was plain to see, and Eve was no fool, so of course she would have her doubts… Yet, when her own soldiers inspected the makeshift treasury and brought back with them chests of coin, refusing such riches was an absurd notion. Coloratus and Suilen might be growing wealthy with their trade, but the gold of the Tsurumakis was still plentiful.

"You are a curious one, Lady Matsubara," Eve said. "I don't believe any other commander would give up such treasures so easily, to avoid a battle…"

"And I don't believe any other commander would honor this deal," Kanon replied. "Anyone else might strike us down and claim these spoils over our bodies, but you are worthy of trust. Let my soldiers go, and we will be on our way. Neither of us wish to shed blood tonight."

"One wonders why, despite having that in common, we rose to lead armies for our queens," Eve smiled. It was a smile that Kanon knew well, a smile she often saw almost ten years ago, when Reverie and Coloratus were friends, when Chisato was a princess, when the horrors of the Silence were not yet fully understood, when the kingdoms still had hopes that, together, they could put an end to it. It had been so long ago that Kanon would not dare say that she truly knew Eve, that lost girl who was half a world away from home, that fearful girl who was calmed only when she could enjoy tea with Chisato and Kanon… But that smile brought all those memories back. "Your soldiers may go, but they must first leave their weapons behind. And you shall come with me."

"You demand too much," Kanon said, her voice soft, little more than a whisper. Yet she did not protest any further. Some part of her did not want to return to Reverie a failure, and shame so often had a way to overpower her will. "But if that is what it takes for peace, so be it. I expect that, at least, you will not put me in chains?"

"Of course not," Eve said, gently. "I bear you no ill will, and Queen Chisato would never forgive me if I were to wound her beloved friend. Peace… Peace benefits us all, and my queen knows better than to provoke a neighbor into open war."

* * *

"_I'm sorry, could you please say that again?"_

_Not a day went by where Kanon did not say those exact words. It was fortunate that she was alone, now, enjoying a cup of tea in her quarters, looking out the windows to see the lush forests, their beauty preserved by Kokoro's magic. It was easy to get lost in the sights and sounds, even from afar; these were colors she could only see here in Solcrown, and the animals that roamed the woods freely sang chants that were heard nowhere else. Unblemished, uncorrupted, untouched by the Silence, raised in Kokoro's handmade wonderland. So when a servant knocked, entered and told her something, how could she pay attention, when she could instead hear the songbirds and the wind chimes, the Aria Blossoms magnifying every wondrous, blessed sound, all this amidst green and rainbows and the golden glow of the Melody in the heart of the Crownswood?_

"_Of course, my lady," the servant replied, ever dutiful, and Kanon forced herself to look away from the beauty far below. "Misaki has returned."_

_Kanon rose from her chair without thinking, and smiled. It had been so long. With Hagumi and Kaoru away, it was only Kokoro who dwelled here in Solcrown, and Kanon was uncomfortable around the other many strangers in the castle. Even the queen, however, rarely found the time to be in Kanon's company, as most of her days were spent by Akari's bedside. Such a sad girl, pitiful as a wounded little bird, and far more willful, despite her grave wounds. She would not be there to greet Misaki, so Kanon rushed to be there, knowing she would find Misaki exhausted from her duties._

_She rushed down the long flights of stairs, all servants making way for her as she ran. There were more of them now, Kanon realized, recognizing then that it had been days since she last left her quarters. When she first arrived here, she had attempted to learn the names of all who served, but they were too many, and by the end of the week she had failed to remember a single one. And yet she remembered Akari. When the girl's mother told them her name, Kanon found its sound to be familiar, like she had known it once… And ever since that, she had been a guest at Solcrown, cared for day and night, afforded every luxury, and Kokoro was always with her. Kanon wondered if, perhaps, Misaki might remember, too._

_They met before the queen's throne. It was always Misaki's first destination when she returned to Solcrown. The two nodded at one another in greeting, before Misaki extended her hand, and Kanon shook it. Her fingers were rough._

"_Lady Kanon," she said, bowing ever so slightly. When Kanon told her not to call her _Lady Matsubara_, Misaki didn't seem to understand what she meant, changing one formality for another. _I know my place_, she had insisted, and nothing Kanon said could make Misaki overlook their different stations._

_The name _Matsubara, _admittedly, didn't mean much. It was not a house with a proud history, like the Houses of Seta, Tsurumaki, the Hikawas or Shirokanes of the Rosenreich, their great castles raised thousands of years ago. _It makes no matter, _Kanon told herself. When the Silence came and took away all that we knew and loved and remembered, the meek and nameless lost their past just as those who reigned from high towers. But whereas Kanon's was a family of stewards, the name _Okusawa_ was nothing, only the name of some insignificant village near the border with Suilen, and had a name of that tradition, not Reverie's. Even commoners were cut from vastly mismatched cloth._

"_Misaki," Kanon let go of the hand. Misaki had not slept in days, and her eyes were quite weary, but still she always sought Kokoro before anything else. "Our queen is not here. She is tending to a wounded girl."_

"_Goodness…" Misaki shook her head. "What manner of care is she offering, might I ask? I pray Kokoro hasn't gotten the notion into her head that she should practice medicine…"_

"_Nothing of the sort," Kanon explained. "Some weeks ago, a group of common folk were at the gates, come to beg the queen's favor. She received them, of course, and heard their pleas. They had ceded their land for the Crownswood to be established, and while they had relocated with the supplies our queen offered them, after some years the soil of their new home grew blighted. Far from the magic of our queen, their lands did not yield the harvests they'd grown used to. So they wished to return, and Kokoro granted them that right, and allowed them to have some of the Crownswood as grazing lands, and, in time, when the populations have grown enough to be beyond risk, they'll be allowed to hunt a small number of deer and hares."_

"_Very generous. But where does this wounded girl come in?"_

"_When Kokoro took pity on the petitioners, she insisted on meeting them, and was drawn to a girl, no more than thirteen but so sickly she appears to be only a child, and asked her name. Akari. Do you remember it?"_

"_No."_

"_Kokoro did," Kanon said. "I had never before seen such pallor in her face, never imagined I could see her shocked. But I understood. Akari… I did not remember her, but the name was familiar to me, and later Kokoro explained how she knew the girl, even though Akari herself had no recollection of it… We saved her," Misaki was confused. "Before the Silence, we saved Akari. Kokoro was bedridden that night, assaulted by memories she could not control."_

_That, of course, was not the first time such a thing had happened. Mad, they called her, for remembering more of the world before the Silence than anyone else in the world. There were others with a gift like hers, the power of the Voice, of remembering the music of these lands, but even Queen Minato's voice and recollections were nothing compared to Kokoro's. Yet even those memories came piecemeal, disjointed, incoherent, so few chose to believe._

"_We… We saved her?"_

"_Well, it seems we must have thought we did," Kanon said, and remembered Kokoro's words so that she could repeat them to Misaki. "Akari was but an infant, born sickly, and we met her through Hagumi. Akari's mother begged for help from the House of Kitazawa, and together our music healed the child, and she could walk again. She lived close to Solcrown ever since that, but… But we forgot. The Silence ate those memories from her, even from Kokoro, and only when it was too late did they return to her. Deprived of the magic of music, Akari grew ill again. And since Kokoro no longer knew who she was, and Akari herself forgot that she had once been saved, they were all relocated. Only now have we remembered."_

"_Then I must speak with our queen immediately," Misaki declared. "Our queen blames herself… But I have never known her to feel guilt before. She must be put at ease, because a Voice as powerful as hers could be disastrous if left unchecked," Kanon began to sweat. "From this look on your face, I can tell things are already amiss."_

"_She didn't mean to," Kanon said, instinctively defending the queen she so loved, despite knowing Misaki would never see her unkindly. "She only wanted to make amends, to use her magic again, but… Some servants have told me they have started hearing voices in their heads. They see things that aren't there. Kokoro's Voice is more than most can bear. I gave the stewards order to dismiss anyone who falls prey to madness, to keep the castle understaffed and ensure that the servants don't linger here for too long. The Voice of Madness… That is Kokoro's gift, is it not? Music and memory so overwhelmingly powerful that they consume minds. I wanted to talk to her, but… But I'm afraid. I don't want to make it worse. But you… You have a way with words."_

"_I will speak with her," Misaki said, softly. "But Queen Kokoro has never listened to anyone, has she? At least I bring good news from Suilen, so I won't put her in a foul mood. But I'll discuss it with you later. I'll be on my way. It's time to be Michelle, I suppose. Did you know Michelle has been knighted? Funny, that. Misaki Okusawa is only a commoner, yet Michelle, who looks exactly like her, is noble. What to make of that?"_

_The absurdity of it all made Kanon smile, even though there was nothing to be happy about right now. Michelle was only the name Misaki used when she was someone else; her duties to Reverie required her to be different people, in different lands. When Misaki and Kokoro met, the two were always alone, so Kanon knew nothing of their gatherings except for what Misaki shared with her, and even that was very little. She wouldn't be such a good spymaster if secrets came so easily to her tongue, after all._

"_Does she… Does she still not know who you are? Though you've been her agent for so long?"_

"_Hm?" Misaki appeared confused. "Ah, the Misaki and Michelle matter… I wondered the same, at first, if she happened to think we were twins, but Queen Kokoro is not an idiot. If anything she's so clever in her own way that she insists on treating me as Michelle when we meet to discuss her plans and my tasks, because she would never dare contradict my false name and appearances… Or at least that's what I choose to believe. I trust my queen, and love her, so I will believe the best of her. We all do, even when it's difficult, like now. We put our faith in her, because we know she remembers the things no one else ever could. So, Lady Kanon, you must excuse me. Kokoro needs me by her side, so I will be there, as I always am."_

* * *

Misaki saw the wind sway the stalks of grass that grew along the dirt roads, but she, of course, could not feel it. It was cold, Arisa complained, unpleasantly so, and she told Misaki that she was lucky not to have to deal with it. That might be so, but Misaki found little cause for joy in that. They'd been walking for hours now, and Aya refused to rest even as Arisa swore she was about to collapse, though she never did. _Exhaustion. _Even that Misaki did not feel. Her body moved, obeying her every command, like it had always done, but now there was something amiss… She did not feel the wind's breath and the rough, beaten paths beneath her feet escaped her notice unless she focused on the metal of her own armor, and even then she did not _feel _it: at best she was merely aware of her surroundings, but, devoid of feeling, her life felt entirely sterile, if it could even be called life.

She kept the complaints to herself. There was nothing Aya or Arisa could do to ease her struggle, and she had no desire to burden them with pity and concern. They needed her to be strong, their guardian in their difficult road, and what could Misaki do but follow them, when she had nowhere else to go? She prayed she could find answers, but in truth she wasn't entirely sure what it was that she wanted to know in the first place. _Who am I? What happened to me? What is this body? _Would that knowledge do her any good? And yet, what choice did she have? She looked on ahead, and saw the road stretching without an end, knowing the city of Albio was still distant, and so were the answers she longed for.

They had been travelling for four days already, and not once had they stumbled upon any soldiers bearing the banners of Coloratus and its young queen. They found hamlets on their way, villages so small that they would soon disappear, as its inhabitants made their way to the heart of the kingdom, wherein they might find protection from the brigands that infested the lands. Each night they shared bread with the common folk of these villages, and though they would initially be suspicious of the new arrivals, these three strange girls, Aya had a gift for winning people over. It was thanks to her that they didn't have to sleep under the night sky.

And yet even these places, so full of hospitality, were dying, growing emptier with each passing year. There were always abandoned houses where they could stay, and only now that they grew closer to Albio did they begin to find hamlets where more than twenty or thirty people lived. Far from the authority of the queen and of Coloratus's nobility, they were spared the duties of most peasants, living without taxation and unlikely to be conscripted into any armies, but they were prey for bandits, and for Coloratus's own soldiers as well.

In these four days, they found no fellow travellers on the roads. Despite the mass migration that they were told of, this was a dangerous season, and monsters grew bold in the darkness. _You'd best wait a month or two_, was the advice they received each evening. Aya had no time to wait, however. The salvation of the world couldn't wait a month or two, she said. Her certainty was contagious, and when Misaki heard her speak, she actually believed that they knew what they were doing, and that all would end well. Certainly she was a more cheerful spirit than Arisa, but far less cautious. It was Arisa who cooked for them, boiling their water and making sure they didn't eat anything poisonous - not that Misaki could be poisoned, or eat at all, for that matter.

"It's getting dark," Arisa remarked, as if her companions had failed to notice the sun was setting and they were nowhere near any safe place to stay. "Please, tell me you know of any nearby villages. Roadsides are no places to sleep."

"I've slept by them plenty of times before," Aya said. "Not to worry," she added after seeing Arisa's horrified expression. "This stretch of Coloratus is quite deserted, but I've walked this path many times. There is an old chapel not too far ahead. We'll rest there."

"Joy."

They followed Aya's lead, as the skies darkened and strange, guttural noises filled the night. Above, birds circled restlessly, their calls shrill and pained. A nervous Arisa took her eyes off the ground and nearly walked right into a withered oak as she kept watch over the creatures. Misaki held her by the hand just as she was about to smack her face into the whitened bark, or cut her cheeks on the branches that extended like claws.

Beyond a row of skeletal oaks, a graveyard, overlooked by a chapel whose stained glass windows long gone. The tombstones were clawed at, and holes had been dug everywhere, leaving bones scattered disorderly; a quick glimpse revealed to Misaki that, while there were five skulls on the grass, there were definitely not enough bones to make up five whole skeletons. _Necromancers, _she thought… But they reside only in the Rosenreich, do they not? Her memories seemed uncertain. _No, the necromancers were all purged, save for Princess Ako Udagawa… _When did she learn this? Misaki didn't know, and that was more than a bit vexing; there were thoughts in her head, memories and knowledge, but she couldn't tell where they came from, how she had acquired them, or how much she could trust them. Frustrated, she forced herself to disregard the matter.

"Halt," Aya said softly, just as Arisa's hand was touching the chapel's wooden door, shattered and about to fall off. Arisa obeyed, and so did Misaki, and Aya discreetly pointed to the skies. Misaki craned her neck, and there she saw a flock of skullheads. They perched themselves atop the chapel's belfry, the damaged headstones and the broken-down fences. But they did not attack.

Instead, they stared at the three girls before them, their flayed faces revealing the bones underneath, a mask of white with spots of red. These were predators, Misaki had no doubt about that knowledge. Neither dead or alive, these creatures carried the stench of their own rot wherever they flew, their bodies constantly eaten by worms, and only by devouring flesh could they delay their own demise, when there remained nothing of them but their bones and they became only hosts for the carrion that consumed them, remaining alive as hollow puppets.

One shrieked. Others followed, spreading their wings, and Misaki braced herself for a fight. These fiends were nimble, agile, and her suit of armor was hardly what she'd call mobile, but she was sturdy enough to withstand their attacks, and figured she could shatter their every bone with one blow… But, after all this time, they only watched. It was Aya who made the first move, walking slowly towards where they gathered, and when they leaned closer, curious, she began to sing.

Softly, gently, Misaki _felt _again. Aya's melody was so pleasant, slow and beautiful, its simplicity charming and anodyne. In a few instants Misaki found herself captured by the rhythm which, though repetitive, had something about it that made it intensely comfortable, in a way that reminded Misaki of a lullaby… She could not sleep anymore, but she felt the familiar peace of repose, and felt light, detached from everything else. _Home_, she thought. This song felt like home, like a mother's kiss, like a memory once forgotten but that now returned to her. Misaki had no eyes to close, but still she forced a veil of darkness before her sight, and in that peace she felt like a person again. _I was someone's daughter, once,_ she remembered, _and I once had a home, _she realized as the smell of her mother's cooking came back to her, unreal, only in her head, yet so close and intense that she could not deny it. Pease, chicken, blueberries… If Misaki could smile, she would grin now. She heard children yell as they played, and knew those voices to be her siblings'. What had happened to them? She couldn't remember that much, nor could she remember where her home was, only that she had one. Until she became this.

Briefly she saw a glimpse of gold, but then she looked again, and saw that the monsters were not attacking, and instead leaned closer to hear Aya's song. They opened their beaks to shriek again, but Misaki realized that theirs were not haphazard cries, but an attempt to join Aya. However, their song was sorrowful, pained, their voices soon turning into silence as they gave up. Though their visages were fearsome, Misaki pitied them. Were these people, once, or animals corrupted by the Silence? The distinction mattered little, as of late. They extended their wings, and took flight to the sky, disappearing in the darkness as suddenly as they had descended. When Aya stopped singing, there was nothing left but complete quiet.

"The Voice of Peace," Aya whispered. "The gift I was given, though I know not what I've done to earn it. I remember so little of what I was, of the world before the Silence. I don't know why I happened to have this power, and not anyone else. If there was something special about me, or if I was chosen, or if it was mere chance. But you felt it, no? The meaning of peace. You must have remembered something, even if only vaguely… As we know only this world of war and horror, _peace _to us is the memory of what came before. Those monsters… My Voice reminds them of who they were, once."

"I feel sorry for them," Misaki said. "It must be painful, knowing they have been human, and lost so much… Yet you still carry a sword with you."

"My Voice can only do so much," said Aya. "True, the monsters deserve pity, not scorn, but what has happened to them cannot be undone, and more than once I had to put an end to their agony. I wish I could do more, but I am not as powerful as I would like to be. If we are attacked, then we must defend ourselves, but first we do what we can to avoid any bloodshed, because, twisted as those creatures are, they are not too distant from us."

"Enough of this talk," Arisa interrupted her. "You sound like… Like you're about to start hugging them and saying it is so cruel that Coloratus eradicates them where they're found. I've heard enough of that nonsense in Suilen. Let's get inside, there's a chill in the air and I don't mean to get sick."

She did not wait for the other two to follow, and walked inside. Misaki accompanied Aya, and found that this chapel had been sacked long ago. Very little remained save for pieces of marble, wooden drawers, and a stone altar, two figures engraved on its surface. Misaki wondered what it was that filled all this empty space, once; if the faithful were seated to hear sermons, what was done here. There were no nearby villages, so it might have been a place of rest, but there was no telling for sure. The name of this faith had been lost to the Silence, and its purpose. There were horrors that made people turn to gods, but the Silence instead served as proof that if they existed, they did not concern themselves with the weals of mankind.

Arisa was quick to start a fire, and to take pans and bowls from her bag. Stew again, from the looks of it, though Misaki felt no scent. It did not look appetizing at all, but, according to Aya, its taste was much better than its appearance. Arisa only grumbled in response, muttering that it didn't look _that _bad.

"I suppose we ought to sit down and rest," Misaki said, finding a spot on the ground that was not quite as dusty as the rest. She had no body to take care of anymore, but still it felt wrong not to do her best to preserve her armor. "We might as well talk, I suppose. I grow tired of staring into the night with no one saying a word."

"What's there to talk about?" Arisa asked. "The weather? It's shit as always. Our past? We don't remember anything that's not terrible. Getting to know each other? What's the point of that?"

"There's plenty of reason," Aya agreed with Misaki. "You're right, we are far too quiet when we rest. It's not fitting, when I claim I'm fighting the Silence… And, besides, if you hated us so much, you would have stayed behind, Arisa. So… Can I ask you a question?" Arisa shrugged. "You're a noblewoman. Not many among nobility know how to cook, and alchemy is said to be the work of bog witches, to tend to common folk who would never see a physician… How come you learned these things?"

"Is it that surprising?"

"I've met plenty of nobles, and neither knew how to start a fire, nor skin a rabbit, and certainly wouldn't be able to recognize which herbs are poisonous and which can treat a wound."

"I thought you had known Queen Chisato for a long time," Arisa retorted, "so it shouldn't surprise you that having a prestigious name allows you access to all manner of tutors."

"Yes, in fencing, courtesy, sewing, falconing, in rhetoric… But the things you learned are very worldly. You may not look it, beautiful and delicate as you are, but you seem to have walked many roads."

"Are you stupid? That much is obvious," Arisa snapped, but she was less annoyed and more worried that Aya might understand her a bit too well. "When I left Suilen, I had to learn how to take care of myself. Satisfied?"

"You've learned to make a good stew, at least. Now, Misaki… Ah, forgive me. You probably don't remember much to talk about yourself. Maybe if I sing to you again, another day, we might make some progress on that."

"I'd love that," said Misaki. "You know, your song reminded me that I _do _have a home. Or at least I _did_. I felt… Happy. Until then, there were times I thought that, perhaps, I might not actually want to learn about my past. After all, normal people don't end up turning into suits of armor, so I was worried that if I learned what happened, I would find that I was a despicable person, that I was cursed like this for a reason. But now my will has been strengthened. There are things that are dear to me, even if I don't remember, and I need to find them again. Family, home… Wherever they are."

"I suppose since we're already doing this foolishness," Arisa said, failing to pretend she was not interested in the conversation, "I would like to know… Aya, you… You're of common birth, no?" She nodded. "Hm. Do you know how to read?"

"I do. I know it's unusual for commoners, but I was raised in a city. Yes, a city, I cannot recall which one, but if I focus, I can remember myself, so small, walking busy streets full of life… Perhaps my parents were traders, and taught me some letters and some numbers. I can read well enough, though my mind was not made for calculations."

"I see. I asked only out of curiosity," Arisa said. "Few in the world have the memories you do, and the gift of the Voice. There are mages who have uncovered secrets of magic, but a lifetime of study wouldn't grant them half the power of someone with the Voice. Queen Yukina of the Rosenreich and Queen Kokoro of Reverie have been gifted with that power, and so was Ran Mitake. The three of them, noble born, their families ancient and powerful… And then there's you."

"Harsh thing to say," Misaki told her. Though she couldn't tell for sure, Misaki had the distinct impression that she was not one of high birth, so the words stang.

"I don't mean it as a slight," said Arisa. "I just can't help but wonder… Why you? Noble blood has power, it is said, because it can trace its origins to the weaving of the world, as if born of the leylines… Yet you possess a gift that belongs to queens."

"As I told you," Aya's words grew quiet, "I do not know why I have this magic. True, my blood is ordinary. The Silence took my parents, so there was nothing special about them. Eve once told me that maybe I am a lost scion of some great bloodline, that I am the heir to a powerful House but nobody knows about it. But Eve was always fond of these tales of grandeur. I choose to believe that she's wrong. It's a comforting thought, to know that even one as low as me can have such a valuable gift, and can change the world for the better. It strikes me as a horrible thing, the notion that only those with noble blood can ever amount to anything."

Arisa said nothing. Quiet and thoughtful, it appeared that she gave deep consideration to Aya's words, even though, being a noble herself, that notion was all she knew. For once she had the good sense to keep her words to herself.

"I never asked for this, you know. I certainly was never prepared for this life. None could ever prepare for the Silence, but to find yourself with a miraculous gift as I did… You have to understand just how much is in your hands. And that is terrifying. There were nights where I would cry myself to sleep, wishing that it could have been someone else, anyone else, just not me. It is sad enough to have to live in such terrible times, but harder still to know that you, and no one else, can change it."

"Then why do it?" Arisa asked. "You could live in peace, know you will never become a monster. You don't owe the world anything, if it troubles you so much."

"I can do something, so I must. That's what I believe. What I always believed," Aya turned her eyes to Misaki. "You understand, don't you? You helped us when we needed you. I am grateful for that. Whoever you were, I know that it is good. And you, Arisa… No matter what you do and say, I know you are better than what you act like. Or you would not have helped anyone. You saved many lives in the village, I was told. You may say you never cared for them, but I don't believe it."

"You can believe whatever you want, if it makes you feel better," Arisa sighed. She looked into her pan, but the stew was still not ready.

"You remind me of _her_. Of Queen Chisato. In many ways you are different, but in others… Yes, the two of you are just like Misaki and I, even if you would never want to admit it. You feel a sense of duty. You ran from Suilen, for whatever reason, yet instead of hiding you offered your skills as a healer, to help people who would have died without you. Not everyone of noble birth feels this sort of duty. It makes you worth trusting."

"Shut up," Arisa got up, walking towards a broken window. Outside, Misaki could only catch faint glimpses of the long shadows of trees. "You presume too much about everyone, and always think you're right. That's how it is with you common folk. Always certain of your ignorant beliefs… I need to get some air. Please, don't follow me."

More lies. Arisa was quick to anger, yet that façade was frail, unconvincing. She spat out cruel words like they hurt her, spewing them all at once without thinking. She was an easy woman to understand, if not so easy to deal with. Aya had to have noticed it as well. She was no fool, and had a way of understanding people. Aya put her stew on a bowl, and, smiling awkwardly at Misaki, began to eat. Misaki put her metal fist by the fire, watched the steel glow red, and still she felt nothing, said nothing, watched over the emptiness and waited for Arisa to return. Silence, again, had fallen over them.


	6. Familiar

For the sake of all who counted on her to be strong and reliable, Rokka silenced her every word of complaint as they journeyed west, and was always the first to offer some of her own food and water to the travellers by her side. After a week of riding, she had gotten used to the empty feeling in her belly, and a parched tongue. She had not shed a single tear since leaving Tateshiro behind, because, as this was her fault to begin with, she had no right to lament. She wanted to, of course, she wanted to weep and ask for comfort and a gentle hand that would pat her and tell her that she did her best, she wished for a soothing voice that would say it's not her fault, but by now she knew well enough that she would never be able to believe that.

By the time they had forded the shallowest points of Chitose River, and were not too far from Hanasakigawa, Rokka no longer dared look back to see weary, gaunt faces. They were not even ten, and though the harsh journey hadn't claimed any of them, a rouncey hadn't made it to the end of the week, for after wounding its hind legs on a briar patch, it could no longer walk and in the end served as dinner for the starving travellers. Rokka could not bear to partake.

"Three days to the north we'll find Chitose Bridge," Asuka pointed out. Rokka couldn't tell where north was, so she took Asuka's word for it. The lay of the starfields were enigmatic to her, even though her parents attempted to tutor her in that art. They were just points of light to her, and Rokka could never tell them apart and use them to guide her when she needed directions. "Once we're well rested and supplied, I suspect that's where we're headed, no, my lady?"

"That's right," Rokka said. Though she was only agreeing with Asuka's plan, she repeated it confidently enough. "From there we'll get new horses so as to ride the rest of the way to the capital. We must tell the queen at Haneoka of what happened, and ask for help, but…" She hesitated. She shouldn't be relying on anyone's assistance anymore, as she was no longer a child but a woman grown, yet here she was, knowing she would soon have to crawl and beg for the queen's favor in reclaiming the castle she was meant to guard. She had sought the task of holding Tateshiro so that she might be able to find some pride, to live as something better than a noble daughter with no talents, to never again have to beg for anything.

"It'll be alright, my lady," Asuka said softly, riding towards Rokka and taking the reins of her destrier, urging it to halt for a moment. "You mustn't be ashamed. It was treachery that took the castle, and anyone can be a victim of that. You've protected the Melody, and your people."

_My people? _Rokka looked behind, to see only a fraction of the retinue stationed at Tateshiro, and not a single one of them a soldier. She did not feel as if she had saved anyone. And the Melody… She felt its warmth, concealed underneath her cloak, always close to her chest, and it was the only comfort she knew. When she held it, she felt a small measure of peace; not much, but enough to stop her from panicking or weeping. Its soft tones sang her to sleep underneath the stars she did not know, even as they judged her, the same as she felt all unfamiliar eyes always did.

Now they hummed beneath a scalding sun. Had it been this hot, last morning? It was not only that the weather had grown unpredictable, but also that just _remembering _these matters was difficult. Underneath the Silence, there was little that allowed one to tell the days apart, and Rokka was less attentive than most. The past left her without warning, dawn departing with dusk, dusk with dawn. It was only through the toil of loremasters and chronomancers that humanity had been able to retain some sort of history and to keep track of time, but outside of great cities and fortresses none could tell the months and seasons apart. It was through song and poetry that the past was remembered, so when the Silence devoured them, it was history that it ate, too.

There was no getting used to the holes torn in the very fabric of the world. The very idea of, someday, finding this _normal _was painful to conceive. But that was the world that would be inherited, the world that all who were born now would know. Sickened, she hastened her horse, riding further west, until Chitose River left her sight when she turned back, and she could no longer hear its waters run, only the wind and the trot of their tired horses.

When at last they reached a road again, Rokka sighed with relief. They were no longer in the wilderness, but in the heartlands of Suilen. Haneoka and the other grand cities of the realm were still distant, but here, far from the borderlands, the roads were paved, and the knights of Suilen rode out against brigands where they were found. Queen Chiyu could not abide her lands being pillaged, and saw it as an affront to her name and pride. There were no prisons in Suilen, for crimes had but two ends: the payment of weregild, or death. For brigands, however, the queen had rescinded the right of payment by blood price, arguing that their possessions, fruit of plunder, were not theirs to give in the first place, and so, in the hills and forests where they made their homes, their impaled corpses served as grave markers. Until Mitake and her band grew increasingly bold in the past years, Suilen knew safety from crimes the likes of which none of the other realms had.

And so, even now, after what she had been through, the sight of paved roads and plains put her at ease. _I'm home. _Rokka knew the world to be a dangerous place, but in Suilen she had only known comforts. Here she could breathe easy, confident that she would be safe. And, soon enough, Hanasakigawa stood before them, a bastion, a welcome sight to the weary and afraid.

Hanasakigawa had tall walls but no gates; a safe place, Rokka could tell from the watchtowers, but one that was open to all who wished to enter, just as Asuka had told her. Right before the entrances, the roads were well worn-out, bearing the marks of wheels above all else. Around the walls, farmlands stretched, wide and plentiful, green and red and yellow all over, dozens of farmhands toiling the fields. Rokka led her horse into Hanasakigawa, and none of the guards stopped her, questioned her, only nodding in her direction as she entered before returning to their own business.

The place was halfway between a village and a town: it was far too large to be called a mere hamlet, and too well-organized as well, Rokka understood upon taking notice of the many storehouses filled with supplies, with more being carted in even now, grains and lumber and even steel. And yet the absence of gates led her to doubt this could make for a defensible position. Enough soldiers protected the walls, and patrolled the outskirts of Hanasakigawa, but the walls were only high wooden stakes, the watchtowers only oak and straw. After the attack on Tateshiro, Rokka's eyes were drawn to these weaknesses, and although she knew that there were no threats to fear, she worried all the same. She had to.

"You're looking at the gates," Asuka pointed out, startling Rokka. "Or, rather, at the emptiness where they should be. When I first visited this place, I was… Shocked, yes, that's a good word. I was about to yell at my sister, for building a fortress without sturdy gates, but Saya explained that it was one of our queen's conditions to allow them this land to settle."

"That makes enough sense," Rokka admitted. "I always found it odd that Queen Chiyu would simply give her land, not to a noble vassal answering to her but to…" She struggled to find a polite way to word it, but Asuka only laughed.

"To my sister and her band of reckless adventurers?" She asked. "Ah, forgive the laughter. I did not mean any mockery. I understand what you're trying to say. Yes, though Lady Ushigome is of high birth, Saya, Tae, Kasumi, they're all commoners. It is highly unusual for them to hold lands, and to remain untitled, but their service in the past has earned them Queen Chiyu's admiration, and with that came some privileges. They could settle here to do as they wished, but Hanasakigawa's defenses had limits enforced upon them. To guarantee that it will never be able to mount any sort of defiance against Suilen, should there ever be a revolt."

Rokka nodded. It was not something often discussed aloud, but it was a common fear of the highest of monarchs: they could not oversee their lands all alone, and relied upon their vassals, but this gave them power, and with it, pride and arrogance. If a particularly bold duke or count chose to close their gates and hole up inside their castles, it would be a costly endeavor for the Crown to reclaim it, and there were enemies all around sniffing out weaknesses. She knew it was not an unfounded fear: the Rosenreich was proof of that, and Mitake's army as well. No doubt Chiyu's concerns were magnified by Yukina Minato's takeover of the Rosenreich.

At the center of Hanasakigawa, men and women drew water from a large, deep well overlooked by the greatest of the buildings to be seen: not particularly tall, but long and wide, with a constant flux of people leaving and entering. So many concealed their faces underneath hoods, or dragged heavy capes behind them, and on further inspection, Rokka noticed that more than a handful had some difficulty walking, limping or shifting back awkwardly, as if something heavy was dragging them. Amidst them were children, running before Rokka could ask them where they might meet Kasumi or anyone in charge. Asuka guided her towards the central building, while their other companions stayed behind, waiting patiently, but Rokka couldn't avoid looking back at the strange folk here. She knew that Hanasakigawa was a haven for unusual people, but the whispers she heard did not prepare her to seeing this. Hanasakigawa was meant to be welcoming, but even here the people concealed their condition.

Asuka was not nearly as surprised, knowing this place much better. The two dismounted from their horses and walked into the building that dominated Hanasakigawa, and there found a long dining hall, most of its seats occupied as people ate together. The hall smelled of cooked meat, of rice and boiled leeks. A plain, simple meal, but after a week on the road, conserving their supplies, Rokka found herself craving anything warm. But there were other matters to resolve first; she looked around, scanning the hall for a trace of Kasumi, seeking a girl not unlike Asuka, but could not find her.

"Asuka!" Someone called out from directly behind them, and Rokka let out a frightened welp. She turned back, her heart suddenly pounding, and saw four women, one of whom was so similar to Asuka that there was no doubt it was her sister. They were not identical, for Kasumi's face was scarred where Asuka's was soft and unblemished, and her smile came with only half the teeth it should. "You should have sent word that you were coming, so that we'd prepare a proper reception."

"It might be a bit of a mess right now," Saya said, pointing at the plates piled all over each table, "so it's not fit for Lady Asahi, but just give us some time and we'll have it looking proper and presentable."

"This is serious," Asuka said. "We were attacked."

The smiles disappeared all at once, even from Tae, who, Rokka had heard from Asuka, seemed incapable of any manner of negative feeling. As for the fourth woman, Rokka could not recognize her. She was not Lady Ushigome, and certainly not Lady Ichigaya returned, but another cloaked figure. Was she a Melomaniac, then, like many in Hanasakigawa? Rokka tried to inspect her discreetly, to seek any sign of hybridization in her body, but she knew very little about this affliction. In the threshold between humanity and monstrosity, health and madness, music and silence, the Melomaniacs were a sad breed, perhaps more unfortunate than even the monsters, because those at least had lost all reason. In all realms but Suilen, they were hunted down or isolated themselves until their transformation into mindless fiends was completed.

"Mitake," Rokka explained. "Through trickery, she took control of Tateshiro, and I fear she may have been seeking the Melody there," she unveiled the small jewel, still gleaming, still resounding. "I saved it, but not my people. The guards have been put to the sword, and I don't know what happened to the others. I arrived with a few survivors, seeking help."

"You'll have it, of course," said Kasumi. "I knew someone would arrive today, the stars told me that much, but I had no idea it would be this grave…"

"Th-The stars told you?" Rokka questioned. "I see…"

"It certainly would have been most fortunate if the stars had bothered to tell you of the coming attack," Asuka sighed. "What use is the gift of prophecy if you can't see any details?"

"_Hear_," Kasumi corrected her. "It's the music of the stars that I hear, and it's difficult to decipher. The stars are untainted by the Silence, but we are not. Even I don't remember all of their music, so I'm thankful to even hear anything at all. But, that's not important. What matters is that you're here now, and safe."

"Are you being chased?" The woman Rokka didn't know asked, and she shook her head in response.

"Not that we noticed, at least," she said. "If I am correct that they're after the Melody in Tateshiro, they likely lingered behind there, to scour the castle. I don't think we were followed, but Suilen is now open to the Rosenreich. I doubt that was Mitake's intention, but it's another thing we must worry about now."

"There's no telling what that woman intends," Tae said, tilting her head. "Best not to think about it. Instead let's think about what our next move could be."

"I'll be going north," Rokka said. "As soon as I'm rested, I'll ride to Haneoka and inform the queen."

"Hold on," the other woman remarked, coming closer, and when she spoke, Rokka realized that her teeth were sharp, and too large for her to comfortably close her mouth. Her lips were dark with scabs, and just underneath her shoulder, grey scales took the place of skin, not uniformly but in jagged patches. And when Rokka looked down at her hands, she saw that her gloved fingers were longer than a normal person's.

"Hm?" Tae turned to her. "What is it, Rei?"

"You spoke of Mitake's intentions… She hails from the Rosenreich, and her family took place in that conspiracy years ago, just like House Minato, no? It seems very likely that Mitake and Minato are working together. The Rosenreich has much to gain from weakening Suilen, and, as far as we know, the queen and her vile princesses might be counting on a hasty reaction on our queen's part."

"I hadn't considered that," Rokka said, embarrassed, "but now that you mention it… I could ask Queen Chiyu for soldiers, but they would come from somewhere else, weakening another position… Like our borders with Reverie."

"I don't really get it," said Kasumi. "We should still retake Tateshiro, right? I know I'm not really a soldier of Suilen, but Queen Chiyu has any service from me she might wish, and I can't just ignore an attack on my sister."

"The attack was on Lady Asahi," Asuka corrected her, and Rokka wished she would stop that. "The decision of what to do falls upon her, as she is the highest authority around here. Is that alright?" This Rei woman looked like she wanted to protest, but in the end she nodded alongside the others. For her part, Rokka wasn't sure how to feel. She knew she had to fix this situation, but some small part of her prayed that someone would do it for her, that command would be taken from her and given to someone more confident, someone who was clever. No such luck, however.

"Let's not be rash," she said. "We'll send a messenger to Haneoka, as the queen must be warned, but it's best not to urge her to take a rash course of action. If it's not a problem, we'll accept your hospitality and stay here for some time. We won't trouble you."

"Don't worry about it," Saya said. "We have plenty to share, and Hanasakigawa is always open for a reason, my lady. We'd be honored to have you with us for as long as you need to stay. Now, if you'd like, we have some pastries stored, baked just yesterday so they're not perfectly fresh, but I'm told they're still quite agreeable."

Rokka couldn't say no to that. She took Asuka by the hand, and insisted she wished to eat by her side, despite Asuka's protests that it was not proper. Though she cared deeply for her handmaiden, at times Rokka wished she could be a bit more like her sister, brimming with levity to the point of needing to be reminded to address her as _Lady Asahi _or _Lady Rokka_. In the end she said it was an _order_, and Asuka had no choice but to comply and at least try to rest and forget the horrors they'd been through this past week.

And yet even a fine meal surrounded by laughter could not make Rokka feel at peace. Whenever her eyes met Rei's, and she saw something in there she could not quite name, something not entirely human, knowing that all around her were people like her, she feared that there were yet more horrors she would come to know.

* * *

_The court at Haneoka gathered before Queen Chiyu's throne in the early hours of the morning, and as one of her ladies-in-waiting, Rokka had the privilege of standing to the left of her queen, slouched upon her high seat, Reona at her right, holding a platter of grapes and strawberries for her queen, a dutiful smile on her face. The other ladies lingered at the sides, while the steps leading to the dais were guarded by the Queen's Shields, ten of the finest knights of the realm, hand-picked by Chiyu, while a dozen young girls, none older than ten, bore silver censers and roamed around the great hall, spreading the queen's favorite scents in the air; patchouli and licorice, and hints of cinnamon. In the court of Haneoka, everyone was there by the queen's decree, from the highest of noble ladies to the lowest of servants, each chosen by Chiyu herself, and each with a role to play._

_Rokka's role was to carry a roll of parchment and read the words written there. _A suitable task for you_, her father told her when he found a place for her in the royal court. Something about the way he said the words stang, but for a daughter with no talent, becoming a palace attendant was more than she had hoped for, truly. It certainly was better than Reona's duties, if nothing else. Scarcely any better than a court jester or serving girl, she did her duties with a smile, so if she could remain cheerful even as her queen rested her feet upon her back, Rokka felt it wrong for her to lament her position. This was not meant as a humiliation, after all. True, the queen was difficult, and as the heir of House Asahi, Rokka should have higher aspirations than this, but she had Asuka to keep her company, and she learned plenty about courtly manners and politics here. According to her father, she might even find someone to wed, although in truth Rokka had no such desires._

"_Shall we begin?" The queen said, though it was less a question and more a command. At her behest, Lady Itsuki, captain of the Queen's Shields, ordered the gates of the palace to be opened, that the petitioners gathered outside might come to beg the queen's favor._

_Of those there were always plenty, hailing from all of Suilen. There were commoners from the surrounding city, while some travelled from more distant provinces, and even nobles came to make requests to their queen; in Coloratus, the recently-crowned Queen Chisato travelled her vassals' lands to feast with them and deal with them to maintain their loyalty, but Suilen was a realm that knew stability, and here the Crown demanded that requests be brought to Haneoka, for the queen saw it unfit for her to go through the trouble of travelling to meet her servants._

_Petitioners made their way across the long hall, tall pillars looming over them, sunshine glaring down on them through the many colors of the stained glass windows. It was architecture designed to make visitors seem small, especially kneeled before Chiyu's throne, and when Rokka first came here, she thought back on her own family's keep, at the entrance to Haneoka City, it felt pitiful in comparison. _I was a child when I first walked these halls with my father, _she recalled, but could not remember how old she was, nor why she had come. But even the Silence could not eat away the memory of how small she felt._

_The first to come were merchants who begged for leave to sell truesilver outside of Suilen's borders, and were immediately rebuked, as the secrets of truesilver were to stay with Suilen, kept under the guard of Haneoka's loremaster. They left without protesting, though disappointed for having had to wait a week just to be dismissed in under a minute. Rokka approached the scroll to her face, to announce the next petitioners to step forward. The letters were blurry, the names difficult to make out, and though Chiyu said nothing, Rokka could practically feel a strong heat coming from the queen's impatience. It was the same with her tutors as she grew up, and her parents when even her teachers gave up on her. Even when she explained her struggles, suggesting that perhaps she might journey to the markets of Goldport, in the north of Reverie, and procure lenses there, she was told to focus instead, and stop being lazy._

"_Countess Konoe of Shinonome," she called, finally, and the woman stepped forward lazily, bowing ever so slightly before a pair of retainers of hers brought a wooden chest and placed it before the steps to the throne._

"_As requested, my queen, half of the total sum paid in scutage this year by knights of my land. Paid in silver, mostly, though some could not afford the tax and instead handed jewels."_

"_It's knights I need, not gems," Chiyu complained. "Lady Konoe, you are too remiss in enforcing knight-service. It is their right to be dismissed from a year of service to the Crown now and then, but there are knights serving under you who have not joined battle in five years."_

"_As you said, it is their right," Lady Konoe insisted. "My levies are still yours to command, I will not shirk my duties, but the landed knights in my lands seem to think rebuilding the ruined territories is more important than incursions against Reverie or the Rosenreich."_

"_Suilen will only enjoy the fruits of peace when we bring an end to our wars, and if we cannot defend ourselves, we invite our enemies' strength," the queen declared. "I need your knights. Our incursions are a means of keeping the realm safe, and if you and your vassals get to enjoy not being constantly raided by brigands and soldiers, I would at least expect you to understand why. We will speak again later, Lady Konoe. For now, however, you are dismissed."_

_Plainly relieved to leave, she nodded, and turned back before departing in a hurry. Chiyu sighed loudly, annoyed. She might be one of the few people in the world who could remain in such a bad mood moments after a chest full of gold and gems was placed at her feet. Itsuki ordered some servants to take the treasures to the vault, and Rokka read the next names on the list. Common folk now, come to beg the queen for seeds, that they might expand their farms. This, Queen Chiyu granted with satisfaction, happy to hear that their efforts in healing the land bore plentiful fruits, and that even small villages could grow. She bade them visit the castle's loremaster, Lady Aijo, who stored Haneoka's preserved seeds, and even urged them to seek the town's orphanage and bring back with them to their village five youths to help with harvest, in exchange for being taught a trade there. _

_This went on for hours. The queen's attention was required by all, in all corners of Suilen, and though she would delegate where necessary, she insisted on doing as much as she could. Rokka admired that about the queen. Though her temper was unstable and she was quick to anger when she received ill news, Rokka paid great attention to her words, to how she solved problems and enforced her decisions. One day, when Rokka was the head of her House, she would have to give orders as well, and to make decisions that would affect all those under her. She could not afford to fail, and thus she put all her effort into learning from Chiyu, but there was too much information for her, and too many numbers to keep track of; soldiers, bushels of wheat, the prices of goods, taxes and expenses of the Crown… Perhaps it was not so surprising that the queen was always stressed._

_She called forth a name she knew well, one that was always on Asuka's tongue, and thus she did not struggle to read it once she made sense of the first letters: Lady Rimi Ushigome, sister of Countess Ushigome, with other women by her side. Kasumi, Tae, Saya. But Lady Arisa was not with them. It was odd, and all around the court whispers pointed out just the same thing. They had sought Melodies as five, and for their services to Suilen, Chiyu was always eager to shower them with gratitude: Kasumi's sister had found a place in court thanks to that, and Saya's siblings, Jun and Sana, were safe in the city while their sister risked her life for the good of the realm. House Ushigome had founded a trade company and, by royal decree, came to monopolize a great deal of the trade between Suilen and Coloratus, but Rokka knew nothing about what Arisa had done with her royal favors. It appeared, now, that Tae had come to claim hers._

"_I'm happy to see you again," the queen said, an opportunistic smile on her lips. "Though I don't see Countess Ichigaya amidst you? Is she well?"_

"_She is," said Tae, "but she could not accompany us. _Did not want _to accompany us is more accurate, though… She said there was no need for five people to come together, but that has always been our way, so I insisted."_

"_She just needs some repose," said Rimi, softly. "Our journey into the Smoldervale was taxing, as the Deadlands have only grown more perilous."_

"_What news do you bring of the Deadlands?" Itsuki asked. "We've heard from our allies in Coloratus that the blight only spreads further, and that more lands have fallen under the Silence. In time, it might even reach us."_

"_Things are dire there, I won't lie," Kasumi said. "The few known villages that still survived in the Deadlands are all gone, at least the ones on this side of the Rift. Beyond it, though, the Silence has only grown stronger, and the darkness deeper. We explored past the Rift only briefly, because it was far too dangerous there."_

"_The northern Deadlands are merely barren and broken," Rimi explained, "and full of monstrous things, but the southern half hosts horrors that are anathema to life. It is a land of fire and ashes, of a poison that has taken the air, of a sun so scalding that your skin burns. And the things that dwell there… Monsters, but organized, as if they've surpassed madness under the guidance of their masters."_

"_Masters?" It was Reona who raised her voice, full of concern. "What do you mean by that?"_

"_They are not wholly without reason, not all of them," said Saya. "Some swell amidst the blurred barrier between man and monster. The affliction, Melomania, keeps them in a half-beastly state, but the human half is just as dangerous, if not more. We've all seen them in our own lands, always a sorrowful sight, but in the heart of the Deadlands they rise above the lesser, fully monstrous fiends. What we plan, we do not know. But they desperately seek music, any lingering memory of it, and so they war with one another, hoping to consume these last glimmers of light within them."_

"_They are not all monsters, however," Tae said. "They are lost, like the mindless beasts, but as there remains some humanity in them, they suffer, they crave, and they might wish to be something else. I know, because…" She hesitated. "I found someone I once knew. Changed, but not fallen. A childhood friend, I recognized at once when I looked into her eyes, even though her body had changed. I talked to her, and… I want to help her, my queen. Her and all those who have not been completely taken by the Silence. She doesn't want to hurt anyone, she wants to be normal again. And I want to help her. I don't know how, but…"_

"_But she won't get better in a place like the Deadlands," Kasumi said when Tae could no longer go on, overcome by emotion. "I know it may sound dangerous, and it is. Because the alternative is war. I've seen the Deadlands, my queen, I've seen beyond the Rift. When there is nothing there to consume, that ravenous hunger will move north."_

"_You mean to house monsters in our kingdom?" Chiyu was incredulous. "That is irresponsible. The risks are too great."_

"_Forgive me for defying you, my queen," said Rimi, "but there is very little between us and these _monsters_. Only a veil of memory and light so thin that it might as well not be there. They are living, the same as us. They don't deserve to die. I know not all will follow, and some may indeed be our enemies, but I would not slaughter them and call it justice."_

_For the longest time, the queen remained silent, deep in thought. Reona asked her if she was alright, and was ignored. Finally, the queen only nodded, slowly, drawing smiles out of the women kneeling before her._

"_I choose to trust you once more," she said. "It may be dangerous to bring them here, but a far greater risk would be to leave them there, further falling into madness. Save them if you can. If you cannot, you know what must be done to them. It is inevitable, at times, to have to throw the dice. I'll grant you the land you need, and help you where I can, but with the condition that, if these afflicted ever come to threaten Suilen, you'll kill them all yourselves. Elsewise I will. Messily. And you as well. I think that's clear enough. Now, there's much to discuss about your endeavor, but for the time being…" The queen turned her steely gaze to Rokka. "There is yet work to be done. Go on, don't delay."_

* * *

They saw Albioturris before the city that surrounded it revealed itself, far away, past the hills that rose and fell all over the jagged lands, barren grey with spots of dark green where some life still managed to bloom. An ugly sight, but there was more green now than when Aya last looked upon these hills, when she departed all alone, and still she remembered the complete absence of color in the days after the Silence, when she first sought the queen. She wished she could believe that things were getting better, but she knew all too well that this improvement cost them blood and sweat, and the magic of the Melodies. It did not come cheap, and if they did not fight for it, then there would be no new blossoms upon this land.

When they were on the familiar road to Albio, they were no longer alone; wagons filled with produce made their way to Albio, slowly, and families travelled west, to the safety of the walled city, their pace unhurried as they carried all their belongings, and were accompanied by their animals. An ambiguous sight, Aya thought. That there was plentiful trade in the kingdom was a good sign, but it was during times of peril that many migrated to the capital. There must be bandits and monsters all over the realm, she concluded.

The closer they came to the city, the more guards they found on their way, stationed in watchtowers and toll bridges - Arisa had enough to pay for them, but Aya heard complaints from farmers and peasants alike that the price was too great. When Aya last was in the city, Chisato was considering establishing tolls to enter Albio, for the city was far too crowded now, as many who sought it for refuge during the Rosenreich's invasion chose to remain there. No doubt things would have gotten even worse. Still, even demanding tolls seemed to do little to slow down the flux of travellers headed to the capital. Before the city gates, three roads converged, and nearly a hundred people clustered there, some trying to enter, others trying to leave, and in that confusion little progress was made.

"I've seen more orderly cattle," Arisa remarked. "Their scent was not so foul, either. Oh, I do despise cities. Haneoka was a nightmare, and this place… One could smell it from miles away."

"I suppose I ought to be glad I can't, then," Misaki said. "Still, that's a lot of people. Will we simply enter with the crowd, or do you have something in mind? I don't expect the guards to simply escort us to the queen just because you say you are familiar with each other."

"I _do _expect that," said Aya. Perhaps she was being naive. "I was Chisato's close friend, and together we reclaimed many melodies. Surely they'll recognize me."

"You'd be surprised how little people care about that," Airsa said. "You really _do _see yourself as a great heroine, don't you? But to the common folk, a queen's companions are of little concern when they must worry about feeding their children, seeing them grow healthy, hoping the harvest can sustain them for another season. Most of these people have never seen the queen, much less her companions. I suppose they'd recognize her only because she doesn't smell of shit."

"Arisa has the right of it," Misaki pointed out. "She was a noblewoman in a village in the middle of nowhere, and was not recognized. And you are… Not a noblewoman."

There was no arguing with what was plain to see, but what could they do? It might be true that arranging an audience with Queen Chisato would be no easy task, they had to try it all the same. And so Aya simply approached the gates, making her way past the crowds and towards the guards that watched over the citizens entering, and ensured that any who tried to bring their horses along was directed to the stables outside. Aya tried to call a soldier's attention, raising her hand and yelling to him, but he paid her no mind, and Aya found herself being pushed by the crowd. She could see Misaki, as that suit of armor was hard to miss, but Arisa had disappeared amidst the rabble. Aya and Misaki awaited her by the gatehouse, and when they heard her frustrated screams grow louder they located her, and rescued her from the masses.

"Revolting," Arisa said, disgusted. "Once again I find myself oddly nostalgic for the days when a commoner touching a noblewoman could expect to lose the hand. Pity I wasn't even born then, and only read it in books."

"You always have only the kindest words to offer, don't you?" Aya sighed. "I don't think your name holds much sway here, far from your homeland, so you should refrain from saying things that might get us lynched by a crowd."

Arisa just shrugged in response, trying to sweep dirt from the soft fabrics of her long dress. Aya took one quick glance at Albio, and saw that, indeed, the city had only become more bloated. If nothing else, the walls were strong, if weathered; history books remarked that Albioturris and the city around it were carved out of a massive seaside hill with white stone that seemed to glow when sunkissed. The capital stretched over a long promontory, and steps carved on the rocks led to the large docks, now abandoned and ruined. In the past, the city had been beautiful, but that was long ago, and everyone who had lived in the last hundred years had only known Albio to be an overgrown nightmare of stone and wood that smelled of sweat and manure, such was the density of the population. Most made their living at the farms or in the mines, in shops and at fisheries. How the city could feed so many was a mystery to Aya, though most likely it was thanks to Maya's apt administration.

It took her nearly five minutes to get a soldier's attention, and five more to find one who did not disregard her on sight. She supposed it must be quite the annoyance, being chased around by a woman demanding a minute of their time, especially when they had so many people to look after, so when an armored sentinel actually looked at her and did not walk away, Aya at least tried to be brief:

"We need to speak to Queen Chisato," she said. "I am a friend of hers, and a former companion. Our business is urgent, and we must not delay."

"You cannot be serious," the man said. "Do you have a letter? A royal seal? Anything to prove your claim, or are you just wasting my time?"

"Please," Aya insisted. "I understand the reluctance, but if not the queen, then Hina, or Eve, or-"

"_Thegn _Eve Wakamiya," the soldier corrected her. "Your claim of companionship rings hollow when you'll not even refer to her properly."

"Well, when I last stood by her side, she was just Eve," Aya justified herself. "But that is not the matter. Maya will recognize me, or Hanne…"

"Hanne is assisting Loremaster Hikawa with important research," the soldier said, then sighed. "But Lady Yamato is nearby, so I'll escort you to her. If you are not, as you say, a friend of the queen, then you'll be cooling your heads off in the dungeons."

"Us too?" Misaki asked. "Surely there's no need…"

There was no response, so the three only followed the man as he entered the gatehouse and, ascending past a flight of stairs, they reached the top of the tall walls of Albio, from where they could see far into the horizon, though there was little to witness that was not unsightly. Farmlands outside the city walls, and then only the characteristic greys and browns of the barren lands. The walls were quite deserted, but ready for battle, should the need arise, as wherever Aya looked she saw jars full of arrows, and barrels of water and sand. Aya prayed that none of these measures would ever be necessary, but was glad that all precautions were in place.

The man pointed her towards Maya, but even from afar Aya could find her with a quick glance. Busy inspecting the defenses and the state of the machicolations and caltrops tied to the walls, ready to be released far below, Maya was completely oblivious to the world around her, so only when Aya poked her in the shoulder did she notice she was not alone.

"Ah!" She jumped to her feet, her lenses falling from her face, caught by Aya just before hitting the stone floor. She handed them to Maya, who only stared, until finally she smiled. "I knew you would come back, Aya. I told everyone you _would_. Hina thought you would die, but I told her that no, not you, never you…"

"It's good to see _someone _has some faith in me," she said, before leaning closer and enveloping Maya in a long and warm embrace. "I've missed you terribly."

"As I have, and Eve," she said. Aya did not fail to notice the exclusion of Chisato and Hina. "But, ah, erm… Did you come to… Well, I don't believe you came all the way to Albio just for the pleasure of our company, especially after the, uhm, unfortunate things we all experienced shortly before your departure."

"No," she admitted. "I must speak to the queen. Urgently. We were attacked by Mitake's cronies; we have cause to believe that the Rosenreich is behind it, and that whatever Queen Minato is plotting will put us in grave danger. They sought a Melody we reclaimed."

"Ah, about that…" Maya coughed. While Arisa and Misaki remained just behind, Maya didn't seem to notice them at all, and if she did, she didn't appear to care. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait, as the queen has left Albio. I don't know how much you've learned of our current affairs, but things are a bit tense, so Chisato is gathering support from vassals. There are talks of a revolt brewing in Iridia, peasants gathering and refusing to pay taxes, angered by the new sumptuary laws established by Lady Aizawa. The curfew bells are being ignored, and the nights come alive with talks of conspiracy that have grown louder than whispers."

"A peasant revolt?" Arisa scoffed. "How quaint. Mayhaps they'll be appeased if you give them some fresh mud, that seems to cheer up those sorts. And if not, they'll be sure to change their minds come winter."

"Ah, forgive me, you are…?"

"Countess Arisa Ichigaya of Suilen," she said, sounding very satisfied to stand before someone to whom the name actually meant something. "I've been Aya's travelling companion since we were attacked by brigands, alongside this fair knight, Misaki of House…?"

Misaki shrugged, her steel pauldrons clanging a bit too loudly. Maya admirably concealed her displeasure at Arisa's words. Eve was not likely to do so, so Aya would have to remind Arisa to stay her tongue.

"I see you're well accompanied," Maya's words sounded almost believable. "Well, Queen Chisato is travelling through the northern territories to make her presence known to all vassals, and distributing alms so that other villages won't be so easily incensed by talks of rebellion. Our plan is to maintain stability and stop the revolt from growing, so that soon their numbers will scatter and we may engage in talks to bring an end to this folly."

"That sounds surprisingly peaceful," Aya said. "Chisato's idea, or yours?"

"_Ours_," said Maya. "I see you still expect the worst from our queen… But things are well, under her just rule. If she has been able to follow the schedule I arranged for her, by now she should be in Salisetia, feasting with Lady Sonoda, and then she'll be off to Stellarce to meet with Lady Morishima. It's important that they renew their oaths to the queen, especially in these trying times. As for Eve…"

"_Thegn _Eve," Aya interrupted, "I was told. What's that about?"

"Ah, only a formality," said Maya. "According to Eve, that is a title from her homeland. She longs for Kotimaa, and so does Hanne, so Chisato thought to honor her with this small gesture to keep their heritage alive. As I was saying, Eve is off to defend the northern borders."

"And Hina?" Aya asked. "I hope she's fine as well."

"She is," said Maya, before letting out laughter, "or at least I _think _she is, huhehe… Ah, sorry. She's been locked inside her new ocularium for days now, but I've arranged for servants to deliver her food, so I can only hope that she's not starving herself. Even Hanne hasn't been in there for a while…"

"So Hina finally finished it?" Aya wasn't surprised. The ocularium had been Hina's passion for years now, and she had begun constructing it almost as soon as she was accepted into Chisato's service. Piece by piece she expanded upon it until she had taken over the entire highest level of Albioturris. "Impressive, but not unexpected."

"I'd like to say it's been an easy process," Maya said, "but more than a few pairs of lenses disappeared from my belongings, and I believe Hina might have had something to do with it… Though I cannot complain after seeing the end result. She is hard at work on fashioning an accurate orrery and Hanne is taking Hina's notes and using them to chart starmaps. Apparently Hina has found connections between the shape of the leylines and that of the starfields."

"I have no idea what that means," she admitted. Arisa seemed similarly lost, but Misaki was fortunate to be able to conceal her confusion and not look foolish. "Well, as I said, that's what I expect from Hina. I suppose all we can do is await the queen's return. I trust that I can count on you to host us?"

"Of course!" Maya raised her voice; hospitality, to her, was a point of pride. "Your old quarters have been assigned to someone else, but you'll find plenty to your liking, and you'll have every comfort. Especially you, my lady," she said to Arisa. "A guest from Suilen… A welcome surprise, now that our realms grow closer. I'll have some guards escort you to the palace, the streets of Albio can be dangerous and labyrinthine to the unfamiliar… I must stay here a while longer, so I'll be with you by sunset, but you'll find Albioturris quite welcoming."

"I'll stay with you," Aya said. Though Arisa was eager to depart on the first opportunity, and Misaki followed her, for lack of choice, Aya wanted to remain with her friend. They had been apart for so long, it did not feel right that they should only speak for a moment… "You didn't tell me about yourself, Maya. When I said I missed you, I meant it, and I hope you've been safe and healthy."

"I have, yes," Maya said, and the two walked side by side along the walls, watching over the horizon, so small in the distance. "We had quite the scare, last month, and outbreak of the bloody flux, a courtesan at the palace fell ill, but recovered, thank the stars. I've been doing what I can to keep this city from burning down, and at times it's difficult, but I think I've done well."

Aya giggled, drawing a puzzled look from Maya.

"Ah, it's just that I remember a time when you'd never accept a compliment, much less offer one to yourself. In my absence, you've grown kinder to yourself. I'm happy."

"Huhehe, well, thank you for that…" Her cheeks turned red. "If I have no faith in myself, then I have no business having such a great task in my hands. So I try to put on a confident face. It helps quite a lot, despite the troubles…" Aya knew this tone of voice. Maya always spoke like this when she was about to ramble on, be it about something she loved or when she merely wanted someone to commiserate with her. "Had a bit of a mess in the slums last week, lost three guards who were there to extort some citizens who damn near tore them apart in rage. Gave us their heads, too, so I've had to discipline the troops to make sure it doesn't happen again. And there's the matter at the docks…"

"The docks?" Aya found it curious. "Aren't they abandoned?"

"Queen Chisato decided that we must regain mastery over the seas, lest the fiends that dwell in the depths rise to threaten us. So this last year we established shipyards and set our workers to build seven small ships, just enough for us to gain control of the nearby waters, for now. It also solved the problem of the vagrant populace, who built the ships and then crewed them."

"And I suspect things went sour after that."

"The fleet sailed west, guided by charts found in the libraries that mapped an island chain some two weeks from here. But only some boats returned, less than ten oarsmen. It seems that when they reached the isles, the crew mutinied, slashing the throat of Captain Watanabe and dumping his body in the sea. They took over the islands, and the first mate, whatever her name is, now styles herself a pirate queen. Of course, there's no ships for her to prey upon, so this mess will be over in a few months once they start eating one another, but for the time being we have three new ships docked, unable to sail because the seas are too dangerous. Now only Reverie controls a fleet."

"You really have a lot on your mind," Aya said. "Forgive me, for coming with dire news when you already have much to worry about. I know I've never made things easy for you."

"Hm? You don't have to worry about it. It's my duty, and, besides, I'm happy to see you again."

"Thank you," Aya smiled. Maya returned the gesture, if a bit confused. "When I left, I… I could not bear to say goodbye to you, to Eve, to Hina… It was wrong of me to simply disappear, and I hoped I did not concern you overmuch."

"Of course you concerned me," she replied, quite serious. "But that is not something to ask forgiveness for. I understand why you did it. Your frustrations… They were not unjustified. You recovered a Melody, and I'm happy to hear that, but we… We have not achieved much in that regard since you left, Aya. Chisato won't admit it, but we need you. I'll follow my queen no matter what path she leads Coloratus to, but you have always been the only one who ever could sway her will, to steer her course that she might do the right thing. Eve and Hina, they're good people, and they offer the best counsel they can, but the Silence is only growing in power and domain as we linger here."

"Chisato won't listen to me as easily as she did in the past," Aya lamented. "But your trust means a great deal to me. It always did. I understand it's difficult for Chisato to swallow her pride, but I have been to the Deadlands, and things are more dire than ever. And with the Rosenreich's encroaching ambitions now, once again… There is no lack of troubles."

Suddenly, Maya reached for Aya's hands, and grabbed them, a bit brusquely; her fingers were slippery with sweat, but her touch was gentle. Through that warmth, she could feel the strength of Maya's resolve.

"You're right. But we're together again, now," she said. "As we should be. We'll make things right. Together," she repeated, squeezing Aya's fingers. "This way, we cannot lose."

* * *

_**Apologies for the delay. I took some time to work on worldbuilding, to rethink some aspects I wasn't satisfied with. I'd go into detail, but it's more fun for you to notice these details yourselves; I hope the difference is as noticeable and agreeable to you as it is to me. Once again, thank you for reading, and thank you for taking a chance on a story that will inevitable be pretty long and demanding of attention. I am having a very good time writing it, and hope you have a good time reading it, too! Should you care to keep up to date with progress, you can find me on Twitter ( curesword) and there I tend to talk about writing.**_


	7. Duty's Pitiless Toll

When she entered Albioturris, it occurred to Arisa that she could not recall when she last had been somewhere where she could not feel the stench of rot, night soil, or sweat. It was quite refreshing, and reminded her of her home in Suilen, the beautiful Teienshiro and its expansive rose gardens. She missed it, now and again, and the life she led there, but even for the sake of her comfort she refused to swallow her pride and return to Suilen.

While Aya was fully occupied by her conversation with this Yamato woman, Arisa and Misaki lingered some paces behind them; embarrassingly, they left muddy footprints on the light stone floor they tread upon. Were it one of her guests doing so, Arisa would not have concealed her distaste, but Maya didn't mention it, either because she didn't care, or, most likely, because she was too busy by her friend's side. Arisa looked back, and already a pair of servants - an old man and a younger girl - were there, cleaning the mess they left behind. That might be what servants were for, but Arisa was not one to suffer anyone's time to be wasted in such a needless manner. Loyal service should not be taken lightly: to do so was not befitting of nobility and the grace expected of one of such high birth. And so Arisa hastened her steps, so as not to have to look back and see who it was that witnessed her discomposure.

Arisa found herself comparing Albioturris to Haneoka: while Haneoka far overshadowed it in grandeur, here she saw far more guards than in Queen Chiyu's immense castle, wider and longer halls and several storerooms, multiple in each level of the tall tower, ensuring that only the longest of sieges could starve out a garrison here. And while it was true that Albioturris lacked the verdant fields of Haneoka or Teienshiro, or even those of Shion, Arisa could not help but marvel at the glass gardens that Maya so proudly displayed, explaining they were a recent addition to Albioturris, and the crops that grew there were bountiful, magnificently large, the colors of huge melons, tomatoes and berries peeking through the vivid greens.

"Impressive," Arisa had to admit. There were at least five glass gardens on the southern side of the tower, and four more in the center, where until a year ago there was a courtyard. "All this glass must have been difficult to find, not to mention expensive… Imported from the Rosenreich, I take it?"

"Yes," Maya said, her voice full of excitement, as it always was when she had some knowledge to share. "_Waldglas_, they call it there. Our queen was not supportive of the idea, initially, refusing to allow merchants from the Rosenreich to come into Albio, for fear of subterfuge."

"That's only sensible," Misaki remarked. "Hiding agents among merchants and envoys is something spymasters have been doing for a long time," she said, then, for a moment, it seemed to Arisa as if Misaki had cringed in pain, but she must have been mistaken. Misaki was a suit of armor, and could not hurt. "Funny, I… Can't recall how I know that. It's odd…"

"Well," Maya adjusted her lenses, eager to keep going, "be that as it may, we don't produce glass in Coloratus, and I could never find any tomes detailing the process, and we had no choice but to send an emissary to the city of Falterstadt, very discreetly, to arrange a meeting with merchants who were willing to make the journey to Albio. We were fortunate to have acquired the services of an engineer among the merchants, who helped plan the glass gardens. Queen Chisato admitted it was a good idea when she realized that Albioturris is now nearly impregnable."

Arisa didn't see much that could contradict that boast. The walls were thick, and though they were mostly rough stone, unlike the delicate marble of Haneoka, they were sturdy enough to withstand the strength of most siegecraft. All around the tower, a huge and deep moat led to a precipitous fall into a terrible abyss of wooden stakes, and the drawbridge itself served as an obstacle to those who could cross it, as it was connected to the tower's gatehouse by a mechanism that did not only retract it but that could tilt it to the side, and even ignite it with alchemist's fire. Along the walls, everywhere there were spots where the stone could be moved to reveal murder holes, and though Arisa could not see them, of course she had heard of the dozens of scorpions stationed at the very top of the main tower, with enough reach to obliterate any siege weapons trying to crush Albioturris from afar.

By all measures, Albioturris may well be the safest place in the known world, but there was something about places built for war that made Arisa ill at ease. The great castle and its four towers may be able to withstand any siege, but when Maya spoke of the defenses, Arisa could only shudder as she imagined herself locked in this place for years on end, with enemies all around, unable to take Albioturris but unable to be driven away, either. The castle was large enough, perhaps even more sizable than Haneoka, if far less impressive to behold, but there were no flowers, the halls were not as full of life as Haneoka's court, and save for Queen Chisato's hound, there were not even animals to care for around the castle, no woods to explore or to ride in… She would sooner die than find herself besieged in this place. Death, at least, was quick.

Their quarters were found in the Blue Tower, Maya explained, and said they would find it easily, as the tapestries on the walls bore the colors of the tower. It was opposite the Gold Tower, Aya pointed out. There, only the queen and those she trusted most held quarters. Awkwardly, Maya continued, remarking that the Red Tower was where they would find the castle's library, though Aya already knew that. The treasures of Coloratus were guarded there: ancestral relics, weapons imbued with ancient magics that managed to survive the Silence, and, most importantly, the Melodies.

But it was when Maya mentioned the Star Tower - formerly the Green Tower, until Hina decided it was too dull a name - that Aya smiled again. The Star Tower, where Lady Hikawa studied and developed her theories, was smaller than the others, and was occupied by Hina and Hanne only, but Aya insisted she _must _visit and greet the two women again. She missed them both, especially Hina.

The door to the Star Tower was locked, but after a minute of fumbling through keys, Maya opened it, and was the first to enter. An odd smell filled the antechamber, beyond Arisa's recognition, and she heard the sound of something burning. Some paces ahead, the tower opened into a wider, longer chamber that smelled of charcoal, cinders and firewood. In its heart, a spiral staircase led upwards, towards Hina's domains. This floor, however, was Hanne's: they found her hard at work, though Arisa could not tell _what _exactly that work even was. Delicately, the woman took hold of small ingots of all sorts of metals, then drew them close to a flame. All around the chamber, scribbled parchment was scattered alongside paper with charcoal markings that made no sense.

"Have you brought guests, Maya?" Hanne asked, not looking away from the stone table before her. Molten metal pooled in several bowls, and a deep basin was filled with water and ice. "How unusual. Grant me a moment and I'll receive you, I'm just about done…"

The small ingot began to melt over the flame, and deftly Hanne took the tongs to the basin, then shone candlelight upon the twisted shape that resulted when the lead cooled. To Arisa, it just looked like a pile of shit she'd find at a castle's stables. Hanne, however, studied it with fascination. Placing the result underneath a roll of paper, she rubbed it with charcoal, inscribing the marks on the paper. Satisfied, she set her materials aside, and only then did she look behind, first with bewilderment, then with joy.

"Aya!" She said, rising. Her stature seemed rather ordinary when she was seated, but as she got up, Arisa stepped back on instinct, intimidated by this huge woman towering over her. And she was clearly not of this country, too. Arisa thought she might have seen her before, some time ago, in Seiran, on the first year of the Silence… There weren't many denizens of Kotimaa in these lands, after all. "It has been so long… And it seems I am ten marks richer, too. Apologies, but Hina and I wagered on your return."

Aya groaned; Arisa began questioning the companions Aya had chosen in the past. _But I suppose one who looked at Kasumi and Tae would judge me a fool as well… _

"I knew Hina didn't have much faith in me, but I can't say I expected she'd wager money on my death. That's certainly new. All the same, it seems you've been holding up well, Hanne. Though this chamber _is _a bit small, compared to the rest of the tower… Is this all Hina has allowed you?"

"I don't need as much space as she does with her strange glass trinkets and experimenting," Hanne shrugged. "I'm content with what I do here. I've been studying metals, and molybdomancy."

"The fuck's that?" Misaki asked, with admirable tact.

"Divination with metal," she said. "Just as Hina looks to the sky to seek answers about the world, I look for them deep beneath the ground. These are the bones of our world, the metal that supports it in the cosmos. All history is written in them, not only that which we have witnessed but the history yet to come."

"Sounds impressive," said Arisa. "Have you been able to predict anything?"

"Hm? The rain, once or twice, yes. It's an imprecise art," she said, bashful, "but I'm making steady progress. There are other metals I would like to acquire, too, to further study their omens. Lead and tin are fine for lesser predictions, gold and iron tell of the past, and with the mines being reclaimed there's plenty of those. But it's truesilver I need, and liedwurzel, adamant and kohl, maybe some bisemutium too…"

"We'll make sure to provide whatever you need," Maya said, "but those _are_ rare materials, and there are more important things the kingdom needs first."

"Oh, of course. I am in no rush at all. I'm not like Hina, who by now would have set out on her own to find some precious metal… No, I'm fine right here. Ah, I suppose you're here to see Hina as well, no? Would you kindly deliver her this on your way up?"

Without waiting for an answer, Hanne placed a small chest in Arisa's hands, as she was the closest person to her. Though it was a very small box, it was heavier than it seemed, filled with metal of some sort. She promptly handed it to Misaki, who, unlike her, did not crumble at the slightest manual labor. For all that Misaki lamented her fate, there were at least _some _advantages to being entirely made of steel.

A brief ascent revealed the full height of the tower, once they reached the second story; an array of mirrors and lenses was arranged far above the floor, a dizzying sight, as the clear blue skies were reflected countless times, and as Arisa moved, the reflections shifted as well. Now she saw herself, and with her next step the mirrors appeared to tilt, to come closer: the image of the sun was multiplied, and it grew from a small dot of gold to a blinding sphere that forced Arisa to look away. She stood still, then, deciding it was safer to simply follow Maya. When she looked up again, she saw the sun replaced by another orb, huge bright green eyes full of curiosity. _Hina_, Aya whispered.

"It's a bit difficult to locate yourself here, if you're unused to the ocularium," Maya said, and Arisa questioned how one could possibly get used to this madness. In between the mirrors, Arisa caught glimpses of crystals and desks full of notes, but only when she looked up could she even see hints of the stone walls of the tower. She couldn't even dare to estimate how large this chamber might be, or how tall. The mirrors reflected one another, recreated images of the sky and its heavy clouds, and though Arisa heard much about the wonders that could be created with mirrors and lenses, she suspected there was magic at play here, too.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard the soft hum of a Melody. Not only one, but plenty, many Melodies in harmony. Not since she walked away from Hanasakigawa had she seen so many of them gathered together, and the symphony they made. These were nostalgic tunes, though she had never heard them before, at least not after the Silence… She felt her heart grow warm, a feeling she wasn't sure she should name joyous or disturbing. Though at first the songs brought her peace, when it dawned on her that she couldn't know when she had first heard them, why they were so familiar, she doubted her heart, her mind.

_Was it truly wise for me to come here? _When she first set out, seeking rumors of a woman gifted with the Voice who, all by herself, still journeyed in search of Melodies, there was no doubt in Arisa, but now she wondered if she was truly strong enough to do this. The past haunted her, and with it all the uncertainties she left behind in Suilen.

"You appear deep in thought," a voice called out from behind a mirror, startling her. Arisa looked around, to seek its source, but when she turned she nearly jumped back as a woman stood before her, eyes almost aglow with a greedy curiosity, teal hair messily braided. "Maya, I recall telling you not to let anyone enter my study, lest they damage my mirrors and lenses. Although I was half hoping that someone might try, one day, so that I might pluck their little pesky eyes out and see if maybe I can use them to study optics… What do you think, hm?" Playful, she made her way towards Aya in a single quick hop. "Could I, perhaps, try and use your huge, pretty pink eyes to gaze at the stars, the way one looks through a scrying crystal? Is that why you came back, Aya? Such good timing, too, because in the coming weeks the stars will align in such a way that I'll be able to chart another starfield."

"It's nice to see you again, too," Aya said, then sighed. "And I've missed you terribly, just as you clearly missed me."

"Hm? No, I didn't," Hina spoke so bluntly Arisa didn't know if she wanted to laugh or look away in embarrassment. "I was very busy while you were gone, and had no time to be sad. It's good that you're alive, though. I always expected that."

"From the way Hanne spoke," Misaki interjected, "you waged ten marks on Aya's death."

"That doesn't mean I _hoped _or _expected _her to die," Hina said. She came awfully close to Misaki, uncomfortably so. "It's just ten marks, that's all. I just did it because I wanted to see if wagers are fun, after overhearing some castle guards's talk of gambling at cards in taverns."

"_Just _ten marks?" There was something close to horror in Aya's voice. "Hina, you might not realize it, but most folk will never see a single mark coin their whole lives. It's more than most make in a year."

"Well, I'm not _most folk_," Hina shrugged. "All the same, I am not lying that I hoped you were fine, even if I did not think much of you while you were gone. If we ever received news of your death, I would be quite sad, but putting a few coins in my pocket and going to the market stalls to buy something to eat would cheer me up. Speaking of which," she reached into a purse awkwardly tied to her dress and handed it to Aya. "Give this to Hanne, won't you? Thank you," she said, not waiting for an answer.

"Hina, wait," Aya said to her. She had been on the road for far too long to be able to hide her frustration at the woman's carefree, indifferent demeanor, so she grabbed Hina's wrist. "Were you always this cold?"

"Cold? I'm not cold," Hina appeared confused. "I'm busy, nothing more, and I'm not stupid enough to think that you came back for the pleasure of our company; you declared to us all the value you put in it when you left without saying goodbyes. Considering that, it's safe to assume that you also have matters of your own to attend to."

"Forgive me," Aya said. Arisa envied that she was able to say those words, pained as they were. "I never wanted to hurt you. Please, give me a moment of your time. At least allow me to introduce my companions. This is-"

"Countess Arisa of House Ichigaya," Hina interrupted her, "heir to Teienshiro. I saw you in Seiren, from afar, all those years ago, during the tourney."

"You were there?" Arisa blushed; discourteous as it was, the truth was that she did not remember Hina at all, because she had such an appalling time at Seiren that she spent most of her days there deep in her cups.

When Hina just nodded, smiling, Arisa froze. It was shocking enough that this woman could remember this face that she saw from a distance, but did this mean she _knew _who Arisa was, at the time, and with whom she kept company? It was something she tried to hide from Aya and Misaki even after admitting to them her noble birth. She couldn't bear the thought of admitting it, of saying that like Aya, she once sought the Melodies… There was something about that foolish dream that embarrassed her, a crushed hope that she now regarded with scorn.

Most of all she did not want to have to admit that she _meant _to find Aya, that she _wanted _to help her. Aya, simple soul that she was, seemed so convinced of her own heroism that she believed that the world bent to her will, that the stars revolved around her, and so she never questioned what a grand coincidence it was that they should meet in some insignificant village near the Deadlands… Honesty, that final step, simply terrified Arisa. She had taken it, years ago, and Kasumi just spat in her face, her and Tae, Saya, even Rimi…

"You've a memorable face," Hina said, "and your noble blood means you're worth knowing. We did not, however, talk, and I couldn't approach you to introduce myself, because I try to avoid drunks. They can't hold their tongues, they blabber about meaningless things, they reek of piss and they vomit on you when you try to help them make their way to their bed."

"Is this the sort of concoction you brew in your spare time?" Misaki poked fun at her. Arisa didn't laugh.

"I'm not a drunk," she defended herself, "I just need a little bit of that warmth so I can sleep, that is all. You can't fault a woman for that. But that's not the point, is it? Aya, tell her about Misaki."

"I can talk about myself just fine," Misaki interjected, and then she did just that. To her credit, she spun a concise tale, sparing everyone of needless details. With each word, Maya's mouth opened wider, while the curiosity in Hina's eyes gave way to something strange. Fascinated, she heard the tale to the end, not uttering a single word until Misaki was done, taking off a gauntlet to show that there was nothing inside the suit of armor. "It's not much to go on, I understand, but perhaps if you know anything about this magic…"

"There _should _be no such magic," Hina said. "How very curious. I don't know what manner of mockery of nature you are, I'm afraid, but you're quite interesting. Aya," she turned to her, "how much are you selling it for?"

"_It_?" Misaki took offense to that.

"_She_ is not for sale," Arisa said when Aya could not respond, speechless. "The fuck's wrong with you?"

"Hina's just joking, I've no doubt," Maya interjected, but Hina didn't seem to care.

"Hm? I offered payment, didn't I? If anything you should just hand me the armor so I can try and find out what this madness is all about. My, I wonder if you can be melted down? Would the soul cease to be? I assume that, somehow, it is bound to the suit of armor, if it even is a soul and not something artificial, far more advanced… Can a soul be made into metal through some miraculous transmutation? I would die to find out!"

"Yes, well, you _will _die if you try to melt me," Misaki said, but the threat was lost on Hina. "I'm all for letting you try to figure out what happened to me, but no melting, no breaking, nothing that might possibly harm me, understood? This might be an uncomfortable way to live, but I much prefer it to death."

"Fine, fine," said Hina. "I had no plans of actually taking you to the smelter, if it matters any. Not all of you, at least. Well, as I mentioned, and as Maya must have told you, I'm quite occupied at the moment, and I'd rather not waste time, so off you go, if you would be so kind. I'll take a look at this Misaki within the next three or four moons, once I have time."

"Is there anything we can say to argue that?" Aya asked. Hina shook her head. "I suppose it's fine, as we meant to wait for the queen's return, and Eve's. We shall be off, then," she said, biding Hina a quick farewell.

Arisa was quick to follow right behind, with Misaki by her side. Maya guided them on their way back, although even she was not entirely used to the confusing mirror array of the huge chamber, so it took them longer than they might have wanted to find the stairs, and they briefly lost themselves in the labyrinth. And, on the way, green eyes followed them, blinking in unison, moving as the mirrors did, until at last Hina grew bored of them. The mirrors' mechanisms spun them around to reveal once again the bright, blinding sun, but soon rain clouds drifted to cover it, and the light was gone.

* * *

_The Field of Carrion reeked not of dead flesh but of shit and fouler things, though in the wasteland Arisa could not find the slightest trace of enduring life. Instead there were bones underneath the scalding sun, fused with the rocky earth underneath. It was hard ground that Arisa felt beneath her feet, without a hint of softness, or even of dirt. Here, no life could ever bloom again, not without the magic of the Melodies, and even then that would be a miracle. The earth was colored in grey with hints of black and brown, and it was as if the very soil had petrified._

_And the stench was unbearable. Arisa had heard travellers speak of horrors of the Deadlands that even she had not faced, but when they said that, near the Rift, shit and blood and worse rained from noxious clouds, she took it as exaggeration, a tale to frighten the unaware and to grant them the chance to boast of their brave deeds, surviving the Deadlands. But now Arisa was not so sure. She reached into her purse and pulled a vial of smelling herbs that gave her some relief._

"_It's unfair how you only brought one vial of that," Kasumi complained at her side. Even with half her face bandaged and stitches inside her fucking mouth she would not be silent for longer than a handful of merciful minutes. "I've been in battles that smelled better than this. This is not dead people, this is… Worse."_

"_Worse?" Arisa laughed. "What, thrice-slain? I must agree, though. Here, so close to the Rift, life is more terrifying than death. If there is something in this ruin that can live and thrive, I can only begin to wonder how dreadful the sight of it must be."_

"_You're scared, aren't you?" Kasumi whispered, coming closer. Saya and Rimi were some paces ahead, while Tae was triangulating their location so that they could be certain that the charts they drew were correct. "Usually you'd have said something meaner, like I'm the one who's to blame for the stench. If you passed on the opportunity to do that, then you must be taking things seriously, huh?"_

"_Idiot," Arisa spat out. "_This _is what you're concerning yourself with? Besides, I'm hardly so unpleasant a person that nothing but insults come out of my mouth."_

"_How about you show me again, hm, what your mouth can do?" Somehow, Kasumi leaned even closer, rubbing her body against Arisa, who looked away. "Heh. Alright, be that way. I won't betray your little secret, don't worry. If you'd rather the world think ill of you than have the best of you revealed, far be it from me to defy you, else the noble lady might have me flogged."_

"_I wouldn't flog you," Arisa retorted. "You'd like that. No, I'd probably have someone cut out your tongue, what about that? The penalty for insolence against a pure maiden of noble blood."_

"_You'd miss my tongue," Kasumi whispered in her ear. Arisa didn't know if she wanted to punch her or embrace her. "Come, just a quick kiss. We've not had the opportunity to be close since we left Coloratus. You have no reason to be ashamed of a feeling as beautiful as-"_

"_Don't say it," Arisa interrupted her. "Not where we may be heard. Even amidst friends, it is dangerous."_

_Kasumi sighed. She never understood, never tried to comprehend her situation. Nobility had no right to selfishness, as Arisa belonged to her House before she could belong to anyone. And a peasant girl like Kasumi could never be a match for her. If the common folk so desired, they could fuck one another and breed as they were so fond of doing, to pop out new little farmhands out of their cunts, and they could just tell the world they were wed and no one would ever care enough to put into question a peasant's lineage. But not Arisa. Hers was not to wed for love, but to preserve her name. With almost the entirety of her House wiped out, save for her and her ailing grandmother, duty demanded a great deal of her._

_But here, so far from Suilen, her duty was one she could believe in, one with purpose. Kasumi heard echoes of a Melody, and led her companions south, further into the heart of darkness, where they hoped to find the world's salvation. Already they had reclaimed so many Melodies, thirteen with the one in Rimi's possession now, the one they found less than a fortnight ago, in the ruins of a ruined lakeside temple. There the waters had turned to poison and tar, thick and bubbling._

_In truth, Arisa would have preferred that to the nothingness without end that stretched on ahead; the remains of the roads had faded long ago, so they could rely only on their wits to locate themselves, because when they faced south, they saw a cruel emptiness, the same sight that greeted them to the north, the east, the west. Sunrise and sundown served as guidance, but uncertain, treacherous. The Deadlands were not like any ordinary place: here the world made no sense, with reality itself fraying. There were days when the sun would rise again and again and again, when no time ever seemed to pass, days when Arisa would blink and see that day had turned to night, that the sky was alight with unknown moons and stars. Above, clouds danced and scattered, rose to engulf the sun and fell to turn into mist, and when they touched Arisa's skin, it burned._

_And in the far distance, seemingly never drawing nearer, the Rift cut into the earth. Barren as these lands were, they were not a flat expanse, but rose in misshapen mounds, torn by chasms that might as well lead into the bowels of the earth, and crowned by crag-jagged peaks, mounts covered in snows that never melted or with mouths of flame at their tallest points. They unleashed a pitch-black column of smog that gathered to darken the skies, only ever growing; beyond the Rift, almost all light had been completely smothered by it. Voracious, the smog feasted on clouds, turning their white into night, and when their rains fell, they did so as drops of black acid. Tae had been caught underneath it, and now her plate armor was stained, brittle. Yet she was lucky to be alive._

Someday_, Arisa thought, and shuddered, _all this horror will leave the Deadlands. _Then, she corrected herself. There would be nothing but the Deadlands. There was no telling how many years it might take, but it would happen. Arisa increased her pace. Her legs hurt, and her many travels had not made her any less frail and easy to tire, but even when it ached, she did not stop. She had no right to, not when she could stop this calamity. She did not yet know how, and her companions were of no help on that front, but the stars had told Kasumi that they would find salvation buried alongside the heart of the world. Where Silence was first made sovereign, usurping all music that once resounded._

_That was all they had to guide them forward, but it had to be enough. Why else would the stars burden Kasumi with this miraculous sight? It was beyond Arisa's understanding, how such a thing had come to pass, how any greater destiny could choose Kasumi for its champion. And yet she chose to believe it. She had to believe something, or else she'd go mad, just as all those poor souls afflicted with Melomania, turned into monstrosities by their hunger for music, a hunger that could never be sated. Arisa pitied them, but held no illusions of what they were, of what they did. Demons, no more, consuming the meek and innocent, and creatures like those were fit only to be put down._

_Tae and Kasumi were full of distaste for that, yet their blades were crimson with the blood they had shed travelling south. Their path had been full of dangers: they found fiends so twisted there was no way to even name them, as they had become only piles of flesh that slithered and bled where they roamed, their cut and ravaged by their own bones that protruded like blades from their skin. They were attacked by a pack of scalewolves, but even those creatures had fallen prey to their fellow beings of the Deadlands: worms made them their hosts, and they continued to struggle and run wildly even after their heads were cut off. Only fire could end them, because vermin had burrowed into their bones, latched on to their muscles, and hundreds of eggs made their bodies almost about to burst, leaking out of their swollen pores. When they burned, the vermin writhed, and where they died the earth turned into a sickly red that could not wash away. And the less said of that gruesome bout with the corpsescarab and the dragon-ticks, the better._

_But ever since the Rift appeared in the distance, nothing had attacked them. Somehow that was even scarier than the abominations they'd seen before. Those monsters could thrive in the Deadlands, a place of death and curses, an open wound festering underneath the skies, and yet even they did not approach the Rift. Perhaps it was unwise to keep going, but what choice did they have? Arisa couldn't even tell how many days had passed, how long they had been walking, how many times they'd slept and how many they ate. When she closed her eyes, she awoke at once, and saw a different sky above. She had taken to drinking to make the nightmares of the Deadlands go away, but this dreamless sleep was somehow even more haunting, for when she woke she felt as if everything inside her had been sucked out and replaced with an unrelenting void._

_Only Kasumi's songs could bring her peace. She did not admit just how deep the Deadlands had burrowed into her head, but she figured that Kasumi could tell. Rimi suffered, too, while Saya and Tae were fortunate to suffer only mild damage, but Arisa was wounded deeply every moment she spent here, and the terrors she witnessed remained even when she returned to Suilen._

_When Tae at last returned from her scouting, she had taken note of their location, and how far they had travelled. The hills and chasms would require more elaborate inscriptions, and they had only brought enough parchment to be able to trace their way back, but Tae had written down the location of these mountains and abysses. They could turn back now, if they so desired, and return… But, in the far distance, the Rift had finally grown larger, so they had come closer. They didn't need to say a word to one another. Rimi, Tae and Saya were the first to move forward. Arisa instead looked into Kasumi's eyes, and took her hand. It was sweaty and rough, but when she felt their warmth, she could forget the horrors for an instant._

* * *

Before they even entered their fort, Ran was already sighing, groaning, stomping her feet and clenching her fists at the very sight of the black and green banners of Yumeoji flying high just outside the gates. Half a hundred mounted men had gathered outside the walls, and while Fumi was a tolerable enough guest, and one who did not look down on them like all the nobility of the Rosenreich, the failure at Tateshiro had soured Ran's patience for hosting Yukina's agents. _Her vines_, Ran would say with scorn, referring to the Houses that chose to back Queen Minato when she gathered support from Shirokane and Hikawa. Kizaki, Ohara, Hanayagi, and more than Tsugumi could count… Their support would have easily won them a great victory during their first attempt at overthrowing the Rose Council, yet their banners were nowhere to be seen, or on opposite sides of the battlefield.

Tsugumi, however, could swallow her pride and put on a smile for her allies, even if Ran would rather brood. Dismounting from her horse and handing the reins to a soldier, she approached the Yumeoji host, seeking its commander. She was easy enough to find, her long golden hair being a rare flash of color in the barren wastes of the Rosenreich. Dressed for travel and with old boots stained with mud, there was no mistaking her for a vain noblewoman playing at war and adorned in gold and silk. Save for the jewels on the clasps of her armor, jade and onyx, she did not dress herself in luxuries.

"Fine discipline you have here," Fumi remarked. "I asked your red-haired giantess to open the gates and she said only Lady Mitake can give that order. When I insisted, she told me to go fuck myself with a stick."

"Apologies," Tsugumi said. "Lady Mitake prizes our safety. She knows the price of not taking the necessary precautions."

"Oh, I wasn't asking for an apology," she smiled, licking her lips, her piercing eyes inspecting Tsugumi. "Mere brigands are stupid, you know, and will just open their gates without thinking when you tell them you're an ally, or that their chief sent you to teach them how to ride horses properly."

That sounded more like a threat than Tsugumi was comfortable with. Ever since she departed Jadepalais and began roaming the lands as a mercenary, Fumi had made her name hunting down outlaws and deserters, always finding a way to get her soldiers into their hideouts so as to butcher their enemies from the inside. Queens, nobles and burghers alike paid her handsomely for her services, enough for her to acquire a fortress of her own. Tsugumi misliked her tone, but now that the woman was under Queen Minato's employ, she found it better to remain diplomatic.

"We'll have food brought to your men, and straw so that they may have somewhere to rest their tired backs," Tsugumi promised, "and you may enter, to speak with Lady Mitake, once we have taken our spoils into the vaults."

"I wouldn't expect you to have beds for all my soldiers anyways," Fumi shrugged, then shouted at a freerider behind her that they would be eating soon. "I thank Lady Mitake for her generosity, but… She's not really a lady, is she?" Before Tsugumi could defend Ran's honor, Fumi was already continuing. "However, you needn't trouble yourselves on our account, we are on our way to Dornengarten and will soon return to the road. I expect you'll be headed there too, soon. Her Serene Highness demands all her faithful servants to gather before her ere the next cycle of the moon."

"So soon?" Tsugumi did not expect that. Behind her, she heard the trot of horses as the gate was opened and the rest of their soldiers entered the fort. "Does she mean to hasten the Rosenreich into war?"

"She has no choice," Fumi shrugged. "Well, in truth she does, but the alternative is to wither and die. This year's harvest was pitiful. Everywhere the common folk are dying or taking their chances crossing the border in search of lands less blighted. The soil yields small crops, and much of it dies before harvest. In the lands around Sabreheim, nearly half of the farms had to be burned down because their bounty poisoned those who tasted it. The populace has been summoned to take refuge in Falterstadt. You've come from the north, so you must not have seen it, but further south, closer to Coloratus, we rode past completely deserted villages."

"Can the Rosenreich even raise an army in these conditions?" Tsugumi questioned.

"In times of famine, soldiers eat before all others," Fumi explained. "Starving men don't make for peerless fighters, true, but they will at least bolster the ranks. There's the promise of spoils of war to tempt them as well. The Rosenreich has no future, Tsugumi. You've noticed it as well as anyone else. The Bloodblight was our death sentence, that's the truth of it, this coming winter will just kill the remnants. There will be no next harvest, and no spring. We need a land that is not scarred and diseased."

_The Bloodblight. _Just the name troubled Tsugumi, brought back memories of that miserable year. Where the first year after the Silence was marked by the realms coming together to face that crisis, the second brought with it winds of death and despair. The greatness of the Rosenreich crumbled when its people began to bleed to death; noble and commoner alike perished, turning castles and cities into the domain of ghosts. Overnight, whole cities were reduced to necropolises, inhabited only by thousands upon thousands of huge rats that feasted on the carcasses rotting under the sun. Only three seasons came and went, and three in every five denizens of the realm perished, their bodies sunken and dried up as all their blood leaked from their eyes, ears, through their skin and fingernails. The plague was stopped only when half the country was set alight to purify the miasma.

Yet the Blight claimed almost no life in the domains of Houses Minato, Shirokane or Hikawa. Ran had found that suspicious from the start, and her words were convincing enough that Tsugumi had to agree that it was almost certain that Yukina had _something _to do with the plague. Why else would the horror spare her lands, and that of her closest allies? And it was more than a little fortunate that the Blight first spread when Rinko's parents were visiting a fellow lord's domain, one of the first to be ravaged, thus making her Lady Shirokane and giving her control of the greatest - and still untouched - army of the Rosenreich.

"I've taken enough of your time," Fumi said. "News travel slowly in the wilderness, and your keep happened to be on my way, so I figured I ought to relay Queen Minato's orders to you. Now, we'll accept your hospitality and food, and will then be on our way."

Tsugumi just nodded, and turned away, walking towards the gates. Once there, the first thing she did was order her men to bring Fumi's soldiers some food whose absence they would not feel. While the Rosenreich starved, the larders of the fortress were always full, rich with grain, all sorts of meat and plenty of strong drinks. Tsugumi doubted that any of the grandiose castles of the realm were struggling, and when the high lords and ladies sent their troops to claim the bounties of their villages, what separated them from any bandit save for a piece of paper swearing that this tax was honorable and due? Thus it was only fair, Ran argued, that her noble blood gave her claim to those under her domain.

There was no time to wait for Fumi's departure, because, at once, Ran had summoned all her lieutenants, in a hurry to hear good news from Himari. They gathered inside their keep, in the chamber Ran called her _war room _but that was really only a small mossy room with no windows, always stinking of mold no matter how often and thoroughly it was cleaned. Most of it was occupied by a round table that seated five, upon which was laid a map stolen from a Loreseeker's wagon they chanced upon in Coloratus not long ago. By the light of a dozen candles, the five often met here to discuss their plans, but this time the mood was far tenser than usual.

"You look like shit," Ran told Tomoe, who only scowled. She was missing some of her teeth, and her cheeks were bruised, her nose bandaged. "What kind of monster could possibly beat you senseless like this?"

"Not a monster," Himari said. "At least, I don't think it was one. An armored woman, guarding a village where…" She cringed. Tsugumi's heart sank. _She has no good news for us. _"We lost the Melody. Someone located it just before us, stole it from Caerulium right under our noses. We found her in the village, and when she presented herself to protect the peasantry, I think I may have recognized her… The Maruyama girl, Queen Shirasagi's pet, do you remember her? The Voice must have led her to the Melody."

"Of course it did," Ran said, seething. "That's what our gift does, that's how I found the fucking Melody in the first place, then gave you detailed directions. And you could not take it from one girl? From the sound of it, you failed to terrorize some peasants."

"The armored woman-" Himari began, but Ran wouldn't let her finish.

"_One _woman stopped you? I can only assume this is some sad attempt at a jest. I trusted you, Himari, but it seems we can't really accomplish anything when we're not all together, doesn't it?"

"I see you're empty-handed as well," Moca remarked. "Would you like me to scold you as you did with Himari? Oh, Ran, how very, very shameful, you'll need a good spanking and some lashes for this."

"Enough with the jokes," Ran said, unwilling to take Moca's bait or to defuse this tension. "The garrison at Tateshiro mounted a defense for long enough to allow its lady to flee. We would not chance riding deep into Suilen, and chose to return, hoping that you'd have brought back a Melody. Miserable… Pray tell me, were we all so foolish as to underestimate our enemies? Is that why we fucked up?"

"We won't make the same mistake again," Tsugumi swore. "We now know the dangers of overreaching, and of trying to be too clever in dealing with Minato."

"I told you so," Tomoe had little interest in productive discussion, and instead sought to lay the blame on someone else. "We won't dethrone her with clever tricks. Securing her trust with a Melody while we seek a second one? I don't see how granting her even more power is supposed to help us. I told you, Ran, what you must do is just slit her throat when you meet in private, and all our troubles will be over."

"Because we'll be hanged, yes," Tsugumi said. "To kill the queen is not the same as taking power. Yes, Ran could easily overpower Queen Minato, that dainty little flower, but we would then deal with her princesses and their armies, and that is not a battle we can win. You know your sister, Tomoe… If we harmed Minato, she would despise you forever, and I would rather not have to face the mightiest necrocrat of the realm."

"Besides," Himari supported her, "Princess Shirokane could probably snap her fingers and turn us all into dust. We've all heard of what her magic did to Roterhain. Not that Hikawa and Imai would allow us to die so quickly and painlessly after harming that queen, of course."

"What do we do, then?" Moca pondered. "We need Ako on our side, as she should be, but the other four… Would Rinko accompany her? If so, that would leave only Lisa, Sayo and Yukina to worry about. A fair fight isn't one we could ever win, so we'll need to be craftier than this."

"We _will _be," Tsugumi said. "The Yumeoji girl outside the gates said we are to ride to Dornengarten soon. War is inevitable now, and that may give us the opportunity we need, when the queen and her bitches are all separated. Incidentally, Fumi lied to us when she said she just _happened _to ride by our fort. She brought a message from Queen Minato, but it does not appear we had received a raven from Dornengarten," Tomoe nodded in confirmation. "Most curious, then. I wonder what their intentions were…"

"Does it matter?" Ran got up, her nails clawing at the map, nearly tearing it to shreds in anger. "It does not. Whatever it is that Yukina plans, whatever schemes she means to hatch, it does not matter. We'll win. We'll have our vengeance, for us and for our families, and we'll take back everything we lost because of her treachery. I understand now," she bit her lip. "Yes, come to think of it, our first attempt at overthrowing the Council… She must have planned _that_, too, to get rid of our Houses, that she might swoop in with her new allies a year later and claim all power for her own, and for those who are so dearly devoted to her vision. Yes, it must have been her fault all along…"

There was no sense in arguing with Ran when she declared that something bore the marks of Queen Minato's hands. Something about her hatred was twisted, for while Ran despised Minato, she also spoke of her as if she was omnipotent, behind every misfortune to plague them. Ran could blame the queen for the rain, for the passing of seasons, for the sun and stars revolving around the earth. This hatred, obsessive, only grew with time and exile. And yet, whenever they were summoned to Dornengarten, Ran had no bedroom of her own, and every night she visited the queen, only to leave with the coming of dawn.

"None expected I would follow my father," Ran said just as the uncomfortable silence had become smothering. "Least of all myself. House Mitake… It meant naught to me but the privilege of experiencing whatever I desire, of travelling the world and learning what others could not, but only that. You all know it. _Fuck my father_, I would say, _and fuck his name. _I was not to be a tool to further the ambitions of a lineage of dried up old cunts buried in forgotten crypts. And yet I followed my father into war. I followed _you_. But I never told you _why_. Why I changed my mind, why I chose not to rescind my name and claim to Rubinrot."

"For duty," Tomoe declared.

"It was a conversation with Princess Hikawa," Ran confessed. "She understands what it's like for a noble House to be broken. She is a cold and evil bitch, but I needed her advice. To leave and experience the world on my own as I desired, or to follow my father, as a good daughter must do… You all know what she urged. _One's duty to family comes before all else. _Bold words from she who banished her own sister from her lands, but I believed in them. She seemed to believe them too, despite what she had done. I could not bear to fail my father when he needed me, when he was in danger. So I followed. And Hikawa remained neutral throughout the entirety of our rebellion. Was that, too, part of their plot? Talk me into joining a doomed cause, to rid themselves of me?"

"None can say for sure," Tsugumi comforted her. It was not her fault, and she could tell that Ran's attempts at blaming Princess Hikawa were, more than anything, a desire to deflect her own guilt. "And this, too, does not matter."

"No, it matters," Ran declared. "It matters more than you'd think, because it's the reason we'll win. It was duty that drove me to fight the first time. And what good did it do me? None. But now it is something else that drives me. Hatred. And where duty, devotion and love fail, it burns brighter, wroth, and it is that fire, not magic or trickery or diplomacy, that wins wars and cleanses the world of its weakness."


	8. The Queen in her Radiance

The road never brought Eve any tranquility, least of all now that she travelled alongside wagons full of gold and a prisoner of great import. The nights brought the most terrors, but sunlight was scarce relief underneath the twisted shadows of immense, skeletal trees, and dusk always seemed to come sooner than hoped. In the northern lands of Coloratus, the roads had mostly fallen into disrepair, save for the main one, that led to Albio after a long journey. But even here Eve saw more abandoned outposts than garrisoned ones. Most soldiers had been sent to the heart of Coloratus, to retake its mines and its cities overrun with fiends, but even then there never seemed to be enough. The bulk of Coloratus' fighting force was of conscripts summoned to war, but now that times were - for the most part - peaceful, whenever Eve looked behind she saw less soldiers than she would like, and the old forts of the kingdom were being abandoned one by one.

Even the highborn had abandoned their castles. House Daiba could no longer maintain its own keep of Flavusvallum and, alongside its sworn peasantry, retreated into the inner provinces, as Lady Nana judged that she could no longer defend her own people and would not endanger them for the sake of pride. Just two days after taking Kanon captive and beginning the journey back to regroup with Queen Chisato, they had passed by Flavusvallum and found it infested with brigands. Eve offered them the chance to surrender, but instead they preferred to face her blade and her soldiers. Thirty were slain, five by Eve personally, but she lost four of her own troops. A waste of good life, Eve thought, mourning not only her own men but also the thirty living in squalor in an abandoned castle.

_More than a handful of our soldiers were recruited from dungeons, _she reflected. So as not to lose their hands after stealing a wheel of cheese or being beheaded for robbery, they had elected to fight for Coloratus. Queen Chisato had alleviated some of the harsher laws of the country, understanding that after all the loss of life during the Rosenreich's last failed invasion, the realm did not have the luxury of rigid morals. And, besides, the Silence made monsters of everyone in the world. Some lost all memory of music and were transformed into vile, deformed beasts, while others saw their harvests die and their villages perish, and then, starving and suffering, found no way to survive but to steal from others that starved as well. Eve tried not to judge, for it was her queen's decree and she would heed it without question. _There is no honor in letting thieves and murderers fight with us, _she had said, but had no response when her queen asked her if it was more honorable to starve to death. In time, no matter what her underlings' past might be, she came to rely on them, and she chose to pity rather than despise those who had fallen to dark deeds.

Eve offered one tenthmark to each soldier willing to bury the dead, not only theirs but the brigands as well. A small kindness, perhaps meaningless, but Eve clung to propriety, refusing to let the Silence erase all notions of chivalry. If something awaited them beyond the grave, let _that_ judge them, for the living's thoughts amounted to nothing to the dead. When all was done, Eve commanded her troops to make haste, promising to buy them plenty to drink once they reached Stellarce.

Despite Eve's fears, the rest of their journey was uneventful; there were some villages on their way, but Eve left them undisturbed. She preferred to leave the common folk out of the affairs of Coloratus, though of course it was very rare that they could truly be left alone. By the end of the week, they'd reached the lands of House Morishima, and there they were greeted by soldiers armored in leather who were in the middle of hanging a dozen naked peasants who had stolen grain to deliver it to the rebels hidden in the county's caverns. That was no great surprise to Eve. The outskirts of Stellarce were strangers to the queen's justice, and there both outlaws and rebels could plot as they wished.

It was a dangerous region, but Chisato insisted on going. She was not helpless, that much was certain, having proven her worth when Aya was still with them, and the five, together, scoured the Deadlands for Melodies, and even found some in cursed ruins of Coloratus. Still, it was Eve's duty to worry about her queen. The sooner she could be by her side, the better. Then they would return to Albioturris where Eve could finally rest easy knowing her queen was not in danger.

Lady Morishima's soldiers accompanied them on their way to Stellarce, and there was something more than a bit unnerving about breaking bread and sharing laughter with men she had just seen hang peasants without any feeling whatsoever in their eyes. They were friendly enough, though they asked too many questions about the contents of the wagons. Eve misliked lying to an ally, but only a fool would trust anyone so blindly as to tell them of all the riches they were transporting, not to mention Lady Kanon. If there was a spy in their midst, or should their loose tongues spread this information, the consequences could be dire. So Eve simply told them that they had reclaimed caches of steel and truesilver from the ruins of Flavusvallum. The answer satisfied them, and for the rest of the way, they shared only aimless conversations and news of the revolting peasantry.

The lands surrounding Stellarce were prosperous enough that the farms here could provide food for its neighboring provinces. Here was where the magic of the Melodies was first unleashed, although by then Aya had left them. Since then, the lands had flourished, but when Hina attempted to perform the spell again in other lands, the Melodies provided little power, exhausted. But the magic they performed, though unrefined, had restored life to Stellarce. As compensation, House Morishima set aside one third of its crops to be sold at a great discount to Albio. If not for that, the monstrous city might have also fallen into chaos, but with its populace fed, they were not driven to despair and rebellion.

Farmers tending to the soil interrupted their work to stare at the soldiers marching towards the great keep in the distance, high upon a grey, stony hill. The land here was not what Eve could ever call beautiful, but it was far less unsightly than the desolation the rest of Coloratus knew. The greens, though faint, were everywhere, and the trees bore signs of life, berry bushes growing alongside the roads, their bounty plucked by small children who ran and played.

Stellarce and the surrounding domains were fortunate, if that word could ever be used to describe anywhere underneath the veil of Silence. Whereas north Eve had passed by barren villages and desolation, here some townships remained, and it had been years since a monster had last been sighted. By chance, the region had been spared the worst of the Silence, and that made it the ideal place to begin the reconstruction of Coloratus. That was Chisato's hope, at least. Since they performed the ritual together, spreading life and song across the county, they had not acquired any new Melodies, and the ones they had were now kept safe in Albioturris, or were being studied by Hina.

The gatekeepers received her with a bow, to which Eve gestured to indicate she did not demand great deference. She was escorted inside, not that she would ever be unable to find her way inside Stellarce: the keep was a formidable, tall tower, but not a particularly large one. Most of the surrounding lands were occupied by farms granted to the peasantry, as well as a large paved square for the populace to gather during festivals and important events - such as, say, the arrival of the queen. Hundreds had come to bask in Chisato's regal presence, and to receive alms from her, as well as a promise to be exempt from House Morishima's taxes for five years, offering to Lady Morishima a generous amount of gold from Albioturris' coffers - an amount now replaced by Reverie's ransom.

Hopefully, that would be enough to earn the loyalty of the population here, though of course there was still no end to the hangings. There was not much to gain from executions like that, in truth, but Eve would not defy Lady Nanaka's authority in her own lands, and the way she tried to maintain the peace. The leaders of the revolt still eluded the justice of Coloratus, and tracing them had proven a difficult endeavor, as many of the common folk assisted in hiding them, by giving only vague answers when questioned by the queen's loyal soldiers. All they wanted was to be left alone, to prepare for the coming winter and tend to their harvests.

Inside Stellarce, she found a similar sight to Albioturris: vestiges of marble entwined with reinforced stone. There was once a day where the great palaces of the realm could afford to be luxurious, full of splendor, but now that they'd gone through horrible wars and attacks by the monsters, the nobles that survived these ordeals were wise enough to defend their homes rather than preserve their beauty. Albioturris itself had been all marbled and gilded when Eve first arrived, but as soon as she was crowned, Queen Chisato summoned all stonemasons of her domains to reinforce the walls with rough, brutish stone, the kind that could withstand the power of most siegecraft. War with the Rosenreich was avoided, but Chisato would not become careless, and neither would her subjects.

But it did make Stellarce an unsightly castle. The functional blended poorly with the ornate, and all along the walls that were once alabaster that gleamed in the sun, cracks appeared on the white, and murder holes had been carved onto the stone. A harrowing sight, to tell the truth. All castles were made so as to serve as fortifications during wartime, but even so, this was not how war should be fought. No long sieges, no sacking of cities, no murder or pillage or starvation. If battle must be staged, then Eve saw no place more fit for it than an open field, that the resolve of both sides could be measured without trickery. That was the way of Kotimaa, she remembered that much about her homeland. There, wars were fought for honor, not for plunder or for land. Isolated from other nations, Kotimaa had no cause for war, but its people had hearts of heroes.

Not like the people she saw in the corridors of Stellarce, meek and afraid. Servants, all of them, or soldiers conscripted from nearby villages to guard their liege's castle. It was war thrust upon those who did not thirst for it, and even after all her years in this strange country Eve struggled to see it as anything but a sin. In a moment of particular boldness, she had suggested to Queen Chisato that they summon to war only those with the desire to battle, rather than raising levies of peasants to fill up the armies of Coloratus in times of war. _No one would fight_, the queen had answered. _To you it is an unscrupulous thing, but we are surrounded by unscrupulous queens. _Eve wanted to believe that Chisato did not need to match them in their dishonor, but she did not argue with her queen. It was not a servant's place to question their masters. Not even the highest servants.

She found her queen in a well-lit reading room, sat beside Lady Nanaka and her Lorekeeper, who was quickly excused to make room for Eve, upon Chisato's command. Eve sat to her right, greeting Lady Nanaka with a bow, before kissing her queen's hand. Lady Nanaka Morishima was a well cultivated beauty, clad in a red dress adorned with large flowers all along the skirt, brown hair tied and braided. Were she with any companion but Chisato, she would draw all attention towards her, regale guests and friends with her rightly-praised voice, but Chisato had a way of making great beauties disappear. _Like the sun, _Aya had remarked once. _Luminous, beautiful, powerful, blinding, unnerving. _Though a short woman, barely reaching Eve's shoulders, she felt small before her queen and her dominating presence.

"My Eve," Chisato's words were silk, always with a hint of steel underneath, "you return at a fortunate time. I have been handed a letter from Queen Chiyu, hoping to arrange a meeting between our two countries, and as a token of her friendship she has sent an emissary towards Albio to speak in her name and to share knowledge of great importance with us."

"This means there's something she wants from us," said Eve. "It is not the pleasure of our company that she seeks."

"No," Chisato admitted, "but that's also not the reason we have approached her, so I cannot judge her. I can, however, use her. Suilen is vulnerable, always has been. Haneoka is too close to Reverie for comfort, and Minato has always had her eyes on the great cities of Suilen. If we join forces, we can defend each other, while Reverie and the Rosenreich perish on their own."

"My queen," Eve intervened, "I must speak with you in regards to Reverie. Whilst patrolling the northern lands and chasing after rumors and Hina's divinations, I found a detachment of troops from Reverie attempting to infiltrate our lands through the borders, knowing we could not possibly man all of our watchtowers. When my scouts located Reverie's troops, I prepared and ordered the watchmen at the border to leave so that our enemies might be lured into Coloratus."

"You let them in?" Nanaka was shocked. "Is that not too great a risk?"

"Avoiding each and every risk loses you wars," Eve retorted, "but calculating them ensures victory. They holed up behind the walls of an abandoned settlement, and from there could not escape. The commander ransomed all men under her watch, but I have taken her captive. My queen…" Eve wasn't sure how to bring it up, knowing Kanon and Chisato had known each other their whole lives. She would be grateful that she was unharmed, or at least Eve hoped she would be. The years and their wars may have broken all their bonds. "They were led by Lady Matsubara. I have brought her with me, fettered alongside the wagons full of gold. And unharmed."

"I see," Chisato said. Her eyes revealed only the smallest glint of satisfaction. "You have done well, Eve. If we're fortunate, this will stay the Mad Queen's hand so that Chiyu and I may have the time to discuss what is to be done to the Rosenreich. But it is not chance that earned Queen Tsurumaki her title, for whatever it is that fills her head, it is not reason. Caprice guides her, not good sense."

"Matsubara is a close companion of the Mad Queen," Nanaka remarked. "Surely she'll call an end to the aggressions now that Kanon is with us?"

"Kanon was a friend of mine as well, and we've seen what side she has chosen in this war. May her disloyalty be rewarded with her queen's indifference. Ah, no, not truly, if we can avoid a war on two fronts that is all the best. But I will cultivate no hopes of such fortune."

"Then I'll ready Stellarce for war as necessary," Nanaka promised. Rarely did the high lords and ladies so promptly comply with the orders of their lieges, when it came to sending their people to fight their monarchs' battles. She desired to win her queen's favor. "I'll send word to Albioturris when my captains are ready to march, and have raised enough troops. You'll have food, too. I'll follow the army to war, of course, as I mean to chronicle it. A war is not a matter we must let fade into oblivion, after all."

"Suit yourself," was all Chisato had to say before she rose to her feet, quickly followed by Eve. "So long as you bring me swords and food, you may do as you will. Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Morishima. May the friendship between us last a thousand years and one. Now, Eve, shall we prepare to return to Albio? Give your soldiers a night of rest, but no more. We've matters to attend to in the capital, and a great many letters to write. To my other lords and ladies, to Queen Chiyu, and to Reverie's Mad Queen."

"About the prisoner-"

"We will speak of her once we're safe behind the strong walls of Albio," Chisato said, gesturing for her to follow as they left Lady Nanaka all alone in the reading room. "I have much in my mind, too much. I cannot burden myself with dealing with Kanon now. Now escort me to my horse, I would like to ride for some time to clear my head, although in truth, what I want is to return to Albioturris. I miss the palace terribly, and Leon always suffered my absence poorly."

* * *

_Her quivering fingers clutched the rails as the ship shook with no respite. The waters darkened and began to bubble, and hundreds of fish floated to the surface, dead, swollen, their entrails bursting as they perished, covering the surface of the sea with innards, with blood and with black water. Eve struggled to remember what she was doing here, where she had come from, and when she looked behind, she saw only the endless ocean and eight other ships, their flags the same as the one she hoisted. _Eve, _she told herself_, my name is Eve_, but when she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out, only silence. They lingered heavy on the tip of her tongue, until they filled her mouth and her throat and she found herself choking on them._

Hanne,_ she recalled, looking at the woman next to her. She knew her name, and she knew she was her friend, so slowly she began to remember who she was, why she was here. She was Eve of Kotimaa, and the sword sheathed at her waist was an extension of her arm, she felt that when she drew it and remembered that she had wielded it a great many times when she was still at home. Home… Where was she now, that she knew home was so far away? Somewhere in the distance, there was land. A seaside city, a great tower of white, but when the minutes passed and the darkness grew, the tower disappeared._

"_Eve…?" Hanne approached her, her voice but a whisper. "What happened?"_

_She had no answer for that. The bubbles on the surface of the water burst, spreading filth all over the ship's hull, but they made no sound at all. There was nothing behind the wall of silence. But the worst thing was the feeling deep inside her skull, as if it were being scraped from within. Something was taken from there, something was lost, but when it was gone Eve didn't even have the name to know _what _she lost. But it hurt, it hurt like no word could have ever described. She stumbled across the deck, dizzy, pained, but whenever she tried to speak, instead of sound all she retched out were peas, carrots, onions and a horrid and meaty goop. She looked up, and saw the sails linger perfectly still. Even the wind had died. And it was cold, too cold, but when the seas burst with their grim bounty of blood and death, a sickening heat took the ship. With no gusts to blow it away, that odious warmth remained all around, in stillness, burning Eve's skin._

_In the distance, two of the other ships in the fleet crashed against one another, and made nary a sound, even as their masts broke and their hulls were splintered and sailors jumped into the blighted water below, disappearing into the red and black, swallowed in an instant, and then the two vessels were gone, too, and nothing of them remained._

"_Sail forth," Eve found the words inside her, and her voice was strange to herself. "We mustn't delay here, or we'll perish. We'll…"_

_She said no more, and her words were not directed at anyone in particular, for everyone around stumbled aimlessly, just as she did. Why did she speak out? She was uncertain of it, but in her heart she felt like the sailors here answered to her. Others on the deck carried spears, and a few even armor. No mere sailors, but soldiers, then. Eve could not tell what was going on, but she knew they had to leave this cursed place, they had to reach land._

_Men nodded at her, but when they tried to make their way towards the helm, they fell, groaning. The ship was being dragged by the red tide, away from land. Eve sheathed her blade, then ran as fast as she could; not a great deal, as her head was shrieking with agony, and she wished only to slam it against the railing until her skull was split open and she found some relief from the pain. Instead she carried on, until she neared the stairs to the stern, where she found a sailor with his back turned to her. She grabbed him by the shoulder, and turned him to face her._

_His eyes were gone. In their place were teeth protruding from the skin, cutting at his flesh, while his mouth was open far too wide, and then wider still, his jaw shattering as the entire upper half of his head collapsed. Eve drew her sword, horrified, and the rest of the man's body fell down, bleeding from the neck. Eve poked at it with the sword, the blade cutting into his chest, but only water came out._

_The ship rumbled once more. Eve looked past the railing, and from underneath the bleeding ocean she saw tendrils rise from the deep, seeking the ship's hull, whacking at the wood fraily, pathetically, desperate. Eve called for archers, for anyone who could fight, but her voice only reached Hanne. The rest of the crew was lost, cowering and screaming and twisting into foul things._

_Hanne drew her longbow, but her arrow did not halt the creatures, did not slow their advance. Men were attached to the tendrils that tried to climb aboard, not just one but masses of them, their bodies joined together, a monstrosity of many heads and eyes that slithered across flesh, far too many eyes, some extending along the tentacles. Absurdly, Eve saw herself likening the beast to an octopus. An octopus made of dying men. Swords were stuck in the body, and all over it there were scraps of leather that looked just like the kind worn by most of the crew._

"_What is that?" Hanne asked. "It… It is pained. All those contorted faces…"_

_Not _it_, Eve understood. This was what remained of the crew of the sunken ships. The other ships, too, were assaulted by monstrosities, though few of those creatures were exactly alike. Their crews did not even attempt a resistance, having no one to lead them. As the fiends boarded each of the remaining vessels, they consumed all within, and they all died without making a sound._

_A dozen gathered around Eve. The rest of the crew did not answer her call, some melting into inhuman horrors and others jumping overboard, while a few even drove their own daggers into their chests and their throats, to avoid a fate darker still. Those who were too slow wept in agony until their voices were silenced and, turning to their former companions, stared with bleeding eyes, now entirely bereft of the humanity that just instants ago still struggled to shine through. And they approached, their footsteps heavy, hateful._

"_Muster your courage," Eve said, more to herself than to her allies. A sailor threw himself at her, fangs and long nails bared, letting go of his sword, instead clawing at Eve, who remained safe with the range of her blade._

_She swung the sword, and the steel cut through the man's feeble flesh with little effort, but even as he was nearly cut in half he continued to struggle, inhuman entrails slithering from within with a life of their own. A torch was tossed on his remains, but Eve was beset by more monstrosities, so she could not see how her companions fared. They fought in eerie silence, and there was no sound but that of flesh falling and bodies being rammed against the wooden railings. The ship had started to lean over, pulled by a great weight underneath. There was nothing here to defend._

"_The longboat," Eve commanded. She hoped someone would hear; a wounded sailor complied after a moment of worry, limping towards the boat Eve pointed at. The sailor moved slowly, her right leg almost split in half, a ribbon of flesh being dragged along the floor, painting it a gruesome red._

_The man just behind her was caught by a huge talon that sunk deep into his face, then pulled him over, cleaving his head in two with a spray of blood and brains and bone shards. Then half a dozen abominations kneeled over the corpse, investigating it with more curiosity than brutality, but their long arms were laden with bladed bones piercing through skin and muscle, so soon their victim no longer even appeared human to Eve._

_A splash of red gushed over the railing when the longboat was violently tossed into the waters below. Eve commanded what remained of the crew to leave immediately, defending them as they precariously made their way down the ladders, buffeted by tentacles from the deep that tried to drag them down into the red ocean; Hanne nearly slipped away, but landed safely on the longboat, while the two men climbing down right after her were not so lucky, the first disappearing beneath the waves without a chance to swim before he sank, the second pulled limb from limb by bloodied tendrils that grasped at him. But the boat, at least, was fine. This one last hope remained._

_When the rest of the crew was safe, Eve jumped down, nearly struck down as she approached the railings, but suffered nothing but minor cuts upon her back. Hanne's gentle arms caught her as she fell, and briefly Eve cringed, overwhelmed by the shock of seeing that only four others had survived. Elsewhere, the ocean was a boneyard of splintered wood. Eve picked up a pair of oars, and put her strength into rowing, and though she did not wish to look back, she could not help it. The twisted creatures that attacked her on the ship jumped into the water, sinking just like the girls before, all save for one of the creatures that wrapped a long tentacle around the longboat. It looked human, still, though its limbs were now slippery tendrils, but when it opened its mouth, red tentacles burst from within like a grotesque blossom, emptying the contents of the body as the innards clung unto the oars, nearly pulling them away, and Eve with them, but Hanne put an arrow right in the center of the vile agglomeration. Pained, the beast let go of Eve, then disappeared._

_Bits of red remained in the longboat. They reeked so intensely that Eve had to hold back from retching, but Hanne did not, and spilled her lunch right on Eve's lap. She did not care. They were alive. She took only a moment to recover before she rowed again, struggling to move the boat through this foul water, but she did not stop, even as her arms ached from the strain, or when she could no longer feel them at all. Only when she couldn't move anymore did she finally relent, handing the oars to one of the surviving sailors, just a young boy, his eyes open wide in horror, unblinking. His right leg shook wildly, disturbingly, but the rest of his body was still, save for his arms. Eve wasn't sure if she was even alive anymore. She poked at her face, half expecting she might find she had turned into a horror like the ones she had witnessed. But she had not. She felt the sway of the tides, harsh at first, but in time she got used to them. She stared at what little remained of the fleet, and the monstrosities perched on top of the skeletal ships. They stared right back._

_The tides grew gentler as the boat approached the shore, and the waters no longer stirred with odious life. Eve sat down next to Hanne, and closed her eyes, breathing deep, surrounded by silence. None dared to speak, nor had anything to say. Slowly, Eve found herself remembering glimmers of forgotten lights, but still the emptiness gnawed at her. She watched the distant shore become larger as they drew closer, and she remembered her home, Kotimaa, and knew that she had a family, though she could not remember the sound of their names, nor her mother's voice, or the melodies of the songbirds that greeted her every morning. Wherever they were headed to, and for whatever cause, it was not towards their home that they returned to, Eve knew that much. The way back had left her mind, and north or south or east or west meant nothing to her, yet in her heart of hearts she knew without a doubt that home was behind, forever, past the endless red._

* * *

Adorned with gleaming gems beyond count and made of pure gold, arms tipped with diamonds the size of Kaoru's fist, the grandiose throne of Solcrown was the most opulent of seats in the known world, as well as the most useless, for Queen Kokoro refused to sit upon it when hosting an audience, preferring instead to stand directly before her pleading subjects, so that she could answer their requests with a beaming grin and eyes always full of joy.

_When my people suffer, I must greet them with a smile, _she had told Misaki when questioned why she remained in such high spirits even when she was told the most gruesome of tales of misery and woe. She refused to share in anyone's sadness, choosing instead to make herself the strength that others may lack. Even now she remained resolute about that: from dawn she had been receiving smallfolk and hearing their complaints, and swore that she would solve each and every one of them, no matter the cost. There were villages in need of steel to build new sawing mills and of grain to prepare for the next harvest, and emissaries from cities all over requesting that the quarries of Reverie provide them with stone to reinforce their walls, and there were nobles requesting that their children be educated in Solcrown, that they might grow under the tutelage of their queen, ensuring their loyalty. At each request, Loremaster Junna would whisper in Kokoro's ear, no doubt explaining the difficulties of the propositions, but, in the end, she relented, and Kokoro gave out her promise of assistance. Always a kindly spirit, their queen, and Kaoru was proud to serve her, to guard her, and to lead her armies in her name, when summoned.

It was close to time for lunch when the first affairs of the day came to a close, and Kokoro generously invited the populace gathered before the throne to eat with her. Unlike most of Kokoro's gestures, this one had been suggested by Misaki, who argued that sharing meals with her subjects was a fine way of uncovering poisoning plots. That struck Kaoru as overly cynical, because why would anyone ever wish to harm the dazzling Sun Queen? An absurd notion indeed! Still, it had been Misaki's duty to protect the queen, and even now that she was gone, Junna used her notes to ensure Queen Kokoro was always safe. Clad in black armor, her royal guard was so adept in all arts of combat and subterfuge that even Kaoru's eyes sometimes lost track of them, but they were always somewhere near Kokoro, half of them following right behind her and the other half moving on ahead and ensuring that, wherever it was that Kokoro was headed, she would be perfectly safe.

All they ever failed to protect the queen from were her own nightmares and her loneliness. Before she left, Misaki had warned the castle's garrison that they were to keep an eye on the queen, that she should be kept distracted from all her bitter longings and the worst of her own power. In truth, however, Kaoru did not know what she could do, as her beloved queen would disregard her entirely when questioned if there was something troubling her, and always insisted that she was happy as always. Hagumi had spent the past few weeks in Solcrown, invited by Kaoru in hopes that she might help ease Kokoro's quiet pain, but nothing changed in the queen's demeanor, and now Hagumi - along with Kanon - had been sent away to prepare for the inevitable war. The castle, once full of life, was now host only to the wind blowing through deserted halls. Now only the queen and her knight remained, as well as Junna, too stern and serious to match the queen's temperament, and, of course, the woman from the Rosenreich.

It appeared as if she had simply sprung into existence without warning, her crimson-clad figure roaming the gardens at her leisure, and none saw fit to question her presence. _She is an esteemed guest, _was all Kokoro explained, _a friend from the Rosenreich. We need all the friends we can get. _When at last Kaoru had the opportunity to meet her, the woman demanded she kneel and kiss her rose ring, for a high lady of the Kingdom of Roses commanded deference from a knight.

"I've heard tales of your valor and chivalry, Dame Kaoru Seta,"she said in a commanding voice, when they first met. "I have the honor of being Lady Claudine Saijo, emissary of Her Serene Highness, Queen Yukina Minato. By the grace of your wise queen's kindness, I am under your protection. May our garden flourish as one and may our friendship blossom in beauty and power."

Afterwards, Kaoru sought Junna to learn more about this Claudine, and learned that the two had been tutored as youths underneath the same roof, in the palace of Seisho in Suilen. But that had been before the Silence, and though for some time the kingdoms fought the Silence together as friends, not long after the Year of False Peace all those alliances were broken and Claudine returned to her home of Sabreheim. Junna said only that she was prideful where it came to her noble birth, but not at all unfriendly, and certainly a better diplomat than Lady Hanayagi. All this was a bit beyond Kaoru's understanding, however: it had always been Misaki who was wise about politics, while Kaoru was content in seeing her liege safe, healthy, and happy.

A constant presence in Solcrown she may have become, but today Lady Claudine did not share a meal with them. That was quite uncommon: she had admitted to growing fond of the cuisine of Reverie in her time spent here. In response, Kokoro had asked her about the food of the Rosenreich, and with reddening cheeks Claudine had to admit that since the Bloodblight, the meals in her country became, by necessity, more pragmatic than lavish. Kaoru had never seen it with her own eyes, but the news she heard from the Rosenreich was that even those of noble birth had come to learn what it was like to live on an empty stomach. They lived, however, and that was more than could be said to the bones of the starved dead that littered the landscape of the Rosenreich everywhere, dying in so great a number that the boneyards and cemeteries of the kingdom could no longer accommodate them, so they were left where they perished, underneath the scalding sun, to be overrun by thorn vines, the only life that sprouted from the Rosenreich's cursed soil.

Whilst Kokoro and Junna took their seats before two dozen eager peasants, Kaoru headed to the kitchen, to ask the cooks if they'd gotten word from Claudine, if she chose to eat in her own chambers, and when she learned that Lady Saijo had not been sighted at all there, Kaoru requested that they set aside a meal for her. She knew little about this proud lady of the Rosenreich, but understood that she knew the pain of hunger and took pity on her: the nobility of the Rosenreich had little to treasure now but their names and history, so even at their most desperate they remained stubbornly proud and never asked for help.

After that, she joined her queen and the Loremaster, bringing with her a humble plate of vegetables and some mulberry wine. This year's harvest, though not especially bountiful, was blessed with more colors and variety than last year's, as new seeds took to the soil and bloomed. Meat, however, remained a scarce commodity, one that Kaoru never took for granted. Only recently did life begin to spread again along the woodlands of Reverie, so poachers were allowed to hunt only with the queen's leave, which was not often granted.

Kaoru joined her queen in pleasant and pointless conversation, the two bonding over the beauty they saw in the sun as of late, brighter and prouder than in the years before. Perhaps they should consider a visit to the city of Goldhill soon, Kaoru proposed, and Kokoro's spirits were quickly lifted even higher by the suggestion. It would be a fine thing, Kaoru reflected, to distract the queen from her many concerns. Junna could afford to allow herself to have some fun now and then, and Claudine might enjoy the change in environment, too.

Of course, a journey to Goldhill was no trivial matter, and Kaoru would have to make sure that Kokoro would be even more well-guarded than usual. And, perhaps more importantly, always accompanied: the last time they'd visited the city, Kokoro had disappeared, and was found only hours later at one of the roughest areas of the city, a district that reeked of pigsties, wine and excrement. She had the unwise notion of greeting the destitute and infirm, even allowing leprous children to touch her as she embraced them one by one, laughing and trying to make them smile, before handing alms to blind men. She was stopped just as she approached a group of wounded veterans who were missing eyes, hands, legs, and upon discovering that they could no longer fight due to their wounds, promptly declared that she would allow cripples to join the armies of Reverie, and perhaps the children too.

Junna treated her with strong potions to make sure she didn't catch any horrible disease, and Misaki had stern words for her queen, warning her that her kingdom's policy should not be decided on sentimental whims. Kokoro didn't pay her any mind, declaring instead that she was failing her people if they had to live in squalor and sorrow. She was one for grandiose gestures, this radiant Sun Queen, frustrated by Junna's practical solutions of rethinking taxation and, perhaps, hiring a physician from Suilen or Coloratus and stationing them in Goldhill.

That was why Kaoru so deeply loved Kokoro, however. Now was not a time for practicality and small measures, but for action. It was why Kaoru was so proud of Kokoro's decision to send Kanon and Hagumi away to ready for war, even though their absence pained them all. If they stood idly by, they may very well meet a fate like the Rosenreich's; though Junna was opposed to war, the truth was that Reverie had no working mines like Coloratus, its cities were lesser than those of Suilen, and Queen Chiyu threatened them at their borders, stationing more and more troops with each passing season. And Chisato, proud Chisato… She was quick to judge Kokoro mad, rejecting her gifts. For the love that she bore Chisato, Kaoru would not curse her name, but the truth beyond denial was that there was no worthy queen but Kokoro Tsurumaki, blessed with Voice and magic, she who above all others preserved memories of the world before the Silence. Only one who knew what the world had once been could guide it towards what it should be once more. If only the other queens would see it, there would be no need for war.

"…Kaoru?" She heard Kokoro's voice, suddenly.

"Ah? Oh, my queen, forgive this valorous servant of yours, for my mind was busy with thoughts of…" Of what, exactly? She did not wish to remind Kokoro of war. Not now, not here. "Of the beasts fair and foul that dwell these lands, though in truth what is fair of them may be foul, and the foul fair, indeed, is that not the case?"

Kokoro stared at her like she didn't understand a word that had come out of her mouth, which made two of them. All the same, she shrugged, then grinned.

"Thinking is bad for you. Thinking too much and not knowing what to do with your thoughts give you the dark dreams, the dreams of steel and fire and of things torn in two. If your thoughts don't lead you to action, then they are nothing. Well, I suppose it's fine to do it every now and then, but don't let your head fill up with ugliness. Now, what I was saying is that when we go to Goldhill, we should bring cats with us, and give them to the townsfolk. I exchanged letters with Queen Yukina, you know, and she's fond of the little beasts. They're pretty special animals, too. Don't go around telling everyone, but they keep plagues away."

"You mean they eat rats," Junna said. "You know, some of the old scrolls I've transcribed had some interesting notes on the spreading of plagues, that people stopped dying so much when rats were exterminated and when they stopped shitting on the same water they drink from. Those are measures we should consider, no?"

"Oh, Junna, you're being naive," Kokoro shook her head. "It's just the miasma that accumulates in places with too much sadness. Nobody ever got sick _here_, no?"

"Yes, because of me," Junna sighed, and gave up. Kaoru didn't understand her frustrations. The queen was clearly in the right. "Well, as you may have noticed, we don't really have cats to hand out, but I'll ask the servants if any of them have cats with recent litters. Now, I-"

She turned away, her attention called indiscreetly by a soldier shouting from the other side of the dining hall. The Loremaster excused herself to approach the guard, leaving Kaoru alone with Kokoro, but only briefly, for soon enough Claudine had finally arrived, the long train of her red dress sweeping along the floor as she walked. She curtsied before the queen, and extended a hand to Kaoru, who kissed it promptly. Lady Claudine directed a judgmental stare at the many peasants feasting nearby, but said nothing, taking her seat next to the queen after asking for a moment of her time.

"You'll always have my time, Clau," Kokoro said. She'd heard Junna refer to Lady Claudine like that, and decided she liked the nickname so much she'd use it as well. "Although you're late for lunch."

"I had the cooks set aside a plate for you," Kaoru said, but Claudine's disinterest revealed there were more important matters she needed to discuss. "Shall I leave the two of you alone, or escort you to one of the offices?"

"If Clau wishes," Kokoro replied, "but otherwise I would like to continue eating."

"That's fine," Claudine said. "I'll only take a moment. Some hours ago I received from a raven a letter from the Rosenreich, penned by Her Serene Highness; ciphered, it took me some time to uncover its meaning, but I knew it to be important. She asked that I relay to you a message, and an invitation: my queen would be honored if you'd grace her with your presence at Dornengarten to discuss terms of a military alliance."

"Why Dornengarten?" Kaoru questioned, but before Claudine could offer an answer, Junna hurriedly made her way to Kokoro's side, and whispered something in her ear. Kaoru could not hear her words, nor did she understand what Kokoro's changed expression meant. Right underneath her left eye, a muscle twitched briefly, and she began to tap her fingers on the table. "For that matter, must our queen visit herself? An emissary may represent her."

"Queen Minato figured that might be a possible qualm," Claudine said. "Though she would like to show you the hospitality of Dornengarten, she has also authorized me to propose an alternative, in case you refuse: she will come to Solcrown instead, if you so desire."

"That won't be necessary," Kokoro said, barely waiting for Claudine to finish her words. Then she turned to Kaoru. "Please, arrange a pair of horses for us. Ashenwind for me, perhaps? She's not too old for travelling yet, but is getting there, so I'd like to take her on one last journey. You can ride Orchid, she's your favorite, no?"

"Yes, well," Kaoru intended to question the decision, but Kokoro had a gift for overwhelming a conversation and preventing others from talking. "That's not my concern, really. Is it safe for you to travel such a long distance?"

"I won't be alone, you'll come with me, and Clau too, of course," she said, but Lady Claudine looked just as surprised as Kaoru. Still, neither of them could refuse a queen's command, certainly not Claudine, who had brought the proposition in the first place. "Junna, I trust you can make all necessary arrangements while we're away?"

"Of course, my queen," she bowed, "as you command. I will continue to make preparations and make sure the realm is war-ready. I'll notify your royal guard at once and they shall accompany you. It's a long road to Dornengarten, so you'll require plenty of supplies, but I'll make certain you have enough. But, please, send word immediately after reaching Dornengarten."

"Of course. Now, Claudine, I'll leave you to your meal, and ask you to prepare as quickly as you can when you're done. Kaoru, come with me."

Despite not having finished her meal, the queen rose to her feet and offered her arm to her knight, who took it gladly, though there was something about Kokoro's demeanor that vexed Kaoru. Only when they had left the hall and found themselves alone in a corridor leading to the servants' accomodations did Kokoro pull Kaoru closer.

"It is not only Claudine who received a message today," Kokoro whispered. "Junna brought me news she was given by a soldier. A soldier who should be in Coloratus, but returned here. Kanon was ambushed. Thegn Eve Wakamiya led an attack on her troops, and Kanon ransomed them, but she herself was taken captive."

"What grave news!" Kaoru said, a bit too loudly; if Misaki was still here, she would have reprimanded her indiscretion. "How can this be? Kanon was the portrait of caution, and Coloratus' borders are unguarded, and no eyes watch over it anymore."

"Perhaps some eyes do," Kokoro said. "Perhaps Eve was lucky. It makes no difference. Causes are of no concern, only consequences. And Kanon is gone. A prisoner of our enemy…"

"Should we not launch an offensive in response, then, to recover her?"

"Response? _We_ were in the offensive, Kaoru. I fear the harm that may befall Kanon. She is a childhood friend of Chisato, yes, but so are you, so I can't rely on that… We must take her back, but if we march into Coloratus again, unprepared, we may meet disaster again. No, we have to be bold, but we also have to be smart. Ah, if only _she_ were still here to guide me," Kokoro lamented. Kaoru put a hand on her shoulder, awkward, unsure of what comfort she could offer for Misaki's loss. "Misaki gone, Kanon in danger. Things should never have come to this. I'll make this right, Kaoru. I'll meet with Yukina. Coloratus is no friend of ours, and Chiyu will always back Chisato, I just know that…"

"Are you sure about this?" Kaoru asked softly. "The Rose Queen is not an ally one approaches lightly. Her realm is withering, and in its despair the Rosenreich grows cruel. You've heard the rumors that some merchants from Goldhill were arrested and their wares confiscated, and the only reason that kingdom hasn't fallen apart is because of all the thralls captured in war. The Rosenreich is built on blood and slaves, and has nothing more."

"It has magic," said Kokoro. "Queen Yukina has a mighty Voice, weaker than mine but far more refined. The two witches by her side know magic that's the stuff of nightmares, but if they're on our side, that might give us an advantage we sorely need. Lisa inspires her soldiers to fight ever further, and her mending magics keep her troops alive when they might otherwise die. And Sayo… Well, I don't know much about her, but I'm sure she's reliable. My point is… We gave Coloratus cause to start a war. So we'll prepare for war, not as a possibility but as a certainty, because alongside the Rose Queen we'll be taking the fight to our enemies before they can respond. I don't often give orders, I know. Nothing kills the spirit as much as being commanded, and that's not the kind of queen I wish to be. But I will give you this order now: don't question me. Don't tell me that Yukina is evil, because there's no way you'd understand her. I trust her. So, please, trust me as well. We've lost Misaki already. I sent her to die. And now Kanon… I could not save Misaki, but I _will _save Kanon. Whatever the cost."

* * *

**_As a reader has noted on AO3, I expect that by now you may have recognized certain characters from other Bushiroad franchises: I felt that using only the characters from Bandori would severely limit the kind of fantasy I enjoy writing, which requires plenty of minor characters, and as I abhor using OCs, I decided that this was the best compromise given the overlap that the fandoms have. As you'll likely also have noticed, however, this story isn't tagged as a crossover and I'd advise you not to see it as one, as it's the Bandori characters who will be focused on. If you happen to know nothing about Love Live and Revue Starlight's characters, I suppose you can just treat them as OCs. And if you happen to like those franchises, then that's fortunate. So that you know what to expect: Love Live characters will mainly fill tertiary roles, usually to help the world feel alive, and not all of them will have a part to play. Revue Starlight characters, however, being more fit for a fantasy story will have more important roles. You may want to familiarize yourself with them, which I recommend mainly because it's a great franchise, but unlike with the bands, there isn't necessarily an association between schools and kingdoms. _**

**_With that said, once again, thank you for reading! I hope you'll continue to look forward to the next chapters._**


	9. Flowers of the Garden

Lisa woke to an empty bed, even though she had fallen asleep with her arms around Sayo, her lips touching the back of her lover's head, long blue and brown strands of hair so closely entwined that Sayo's slightest movements tugged Lisa in her direction. Alone, now, the bed was far too big for her, and too cold. Sayo's warmth helped her forget that Dornengarten was always a frigid place, come winter or summer.

Rising, she shivered as she felt the cold stone floor underneath her bare feet. The sun rose just as lazily as her, still just a faint light in the distant horizon. She would have liked to sleep some more, but Sayo always woke just before dawn. She never allowed herself to only rest, to forget duty and responsibility for a few hours. _I'm one of your responsibilities too, _Lisa had told her just last night, before kissing her forehead. _You must tend to your love like the flowers of a garden._

She could not change Sayo's nature. Lisa dressed herself in her most beautiful silks, then perfumed herself with lilac and bergamot. She'd grown too accustomed to the many smells of a marching army, the sweat and latrines and herbs being cooked in an attempt to produce something edible. After months of that, Lisa had forgotten how much she loved Sayo's scents, the ones that lingered behind even after she left her bed. She did not smell like anything Lisa could give name with a single word; it was reminiscent of fabrics that were just washed, so lightly perfumed that Lisa couldn't tell if it was flowers or berries or something else. She had only just woken up, but already she looked forward to laying next to Sayo again, to pry kisses out of her and to fall asleep together, peacefully.

But first there was a whole day to go through. There were no short days in Dornengarten, much less easy ones. As soon as the first lights hit the windows of the palace, Yukina's voice was already resounding through the air, coming from atop the highest tower of Dornengarten, a statement of power from the queen and a command for the rest of the palace's denizens to rise. This, of course, was another reason keeping Lisa from enjoying a lazy morning with Sayo. Though she'd sworn to always back Yukina no matter what she did, she often wished they could have just chosen to live in peace, far from all these politics and wars. But that was not Yukina. The Rose Queen was not one to accept anything but triumph, to stand anywhere but at the very apex of the world, looking down on everything. And so all Lisa could do was stand by her side.

She found Sayo at the parlor just underneath the stairs, where they would often meet with their friends, rest together upon their couch of cushions purchased from Reverie, just the right size for the two of them to be close, so close, and there they would converse, they would read together, they would eat sweets bought from Falterstadt, and, most of all, they would practice their magic together. Strumming invisible strings, Sayo had her eyes closed to Lisa's arrival, but the melody that she rehearsed was _theirs_. Their song, and no one else's. Without saying a word, Lisa sat softly next to Sayo, and simply listened.

"Princess Imai," Sayo spoke gently, eyes opening slowly to reveal the emerald beauty underneath. "Apologies for leaving our bed. There is a passage I fear needs further rehearsal. Queen Minato and Princess Shirokane have perfected it already, and I must not linger behind. And neither must you."

"You must be eager to move on to the next song," Lisa laughed. "Our Rinko has unearthed quite a lot, but I think you might be a bit too hasty. We've made great progress already."

"We have," she admitted, "but that is no excuse for not wanting to go even further. We mustn't rely solely on our Melodies for our magic, for their light shall wane in time. And then, cast into the darkest depths of the Silence, if we cannot bring to life music of our own, then we will have no choice but to drown."

"Sayo," Lisa took her hand, "it's too early in the morning for you to speak so gravely. I'll have you know I take my duties just as seriously as you do yours, but there is a life beyond them. Don't forget that. Don't forget _me_."

"Never," Sayo waved a hand and her strings turned to wisps of light before fading into nothing. Then, she pulled Lisa closer, with the awkwardness that Lisa had learned to love. She was too serious, always, but that was not a bad thing. Their kisses had never turned banal or dismissive, when they touched one another their fingertips were full of curiosity, their passions never diminished and the way their eyes were locked together was the same as it had always been.

Habit, Lisa knew, could save a love that frayed, but more often than not it killed passions that burned bright, for above all else familiarity was smothering. _We dream only of what we cannot have_, Himari had told her once, years ago, when Lisa's heart hungered for comfort. _That which ails us is all our hearts will scream for; the quiet and familiar will never satisfy us. _

"It's far too early in the morning for you to be lost in thought, as well," Sayo said to her. "Is something the matter?"

"No," Lisa said. Of all the lessons she'd learned, the most important was to be open and honest with the girls she loved more than anything in the world, but even then there were feelings best kept buried. "Nothing of importance, at least. An idle thought you needn't concern yourself with."

"Then I won't," Sayo declared. "We'd best eat now, so that we won't need to hurry to go about our business. Will you accompany me, or do you have affairs of your own?"

"Ah, I'll go with you, yes," Lisa said. _She's talking about the prisoner, _Lisa understood. Though she had been afforded every luxury befitting a lady of her station, Yuri Ushigome did not retribute the favor by speaking honestly to her wardens. Yukina declared that the guards were unfit for this task, and that Sayo would be able to pry the truth from Yuri. "Wait, you haven't even eaten yet? You were practicing before breaking fast?"

"Yes," Sayo said casually. "I was waiting for you. I did not wish to leave you to eat alone."

_Does she realize how warm she is? Does anyone else, for that matter? _Lisa heard many whispers about Sayo, gossip among the castle servants that she overheard, or her soldiers, or even when meeting with allies, and always the word they used was _cold_. This warmth was like a secret between them, something that Sayo showed only to Lisa in private, or to sweet Ako and Rinko, sometimes even to Yukina, but hid from the rest of the world. Lisa found a certain beauty in knowing that seeing this side of Sayo was a privilege afforded to few, yet sometimes she found herself wishing Sayo could stop masking herself with a harsh visage and uttering words harsher still. _In Coloratus they curse her, for with two arrows she slew king and queen, but our people do not care for her, and even our noble allies fear her. How does that not bother her?_

She took Sayo's hand, and together they descended the many stairs of Dornengarten and headed towards the dining hall, where they were quickly served a plate of braised chicken, though a bit skinny. Lisa still remembered fuller plates, and when she reached past the mists of the Silence she recalled lavish feasts in this very castle, shared with Yukina when they were both small. They were prized memories, if melancholic in all that had been lost; she had to fight to regain them, but with Yukina's guidance, she had begun to reforge her ties with music and remember the world that once was and the life that faded away. Those memories came in pieces, far more slowly for her than for Rinko or Ako, to say nothing of Sayo and Yukina, but they came all the same. Even as a child, Yukina had the same regal demeanor she did now. At six she was giving orders to servants without hesitation, and at nine she commanded them to put a spear in her hand and teach her to wield it. _I will teach you the blade myself_, her father had said, but of course Yukina refused.

"Not a sword, father," Yukina had said in this hall, serious as always, during what should have been a light-hearted conversation during dinner. "A spear. I've no need for swords, a spear will kill any swordsman before he can reach me."

These words drew only concern from nearby onlookers, but Lisa promised to spar with her, that they might learn how to fight together. Yukina always won, and never realized that Lisa always lowered her guard just enough to allow her an opening. She did it all for that smile, the one that showed in Yukina's face whenever she was victorious, the smile that had become so rare in recent years. When Yukina proclaimed she wished to joust at tournaments, Lisa became her squire: for a lady of a lesser House, it was a great honor. For the girl who wanted to keep Yukina safe above all else, it was a dream…

But only a half-remembered one. She recalled being here, but forgot most of the words she shared with Yukina. She recalled spending her childhood here, but not why or when she had come to Dornengarten. She remembered noble visitors that even Yukina bowed to, but could not recall their faces, their banners, their names. She remembered seeing Ako and Rinko from afar, but in all the memories she had rescued from the Silence's hunger, not one was graced by Sayo.

_Habit_, she found herself remembering as she quickly finished her meal. _Is this why my heart is so ablaze with the love I feel for her? _This unfamiliarity, this discovery not of a past they once shared but of the future they made together. Despite herself, she smiled.

"You _do _have something in mind," Sayo said. "You should tell me. Secrets are often poisonous."

"I was only thinking about how much I love you," said Lisa. "If it disturbs you so, I'll refrain from it."

"It does not disturb me," Sayo looked away, flustered. "You may continue to love me, so long as it does not interfere with our duties. I've finished eating. Do you wish to have some more, or may we go?"

Lisa nodded weakly. So early in the morning, yet Sayo was already in a hurry. Lisa followed her, once again ascending the castle's many stairs, towards the quarters reserved to receive guests, of which there were rarely any, now. But soon there would be life here again, for Yukina had sent word to all of their allies to meet and prepare for war. How rueful that only in these dark times could they all be together; Yukina had dismissed this complaint as pointless sentimentalism, whereas Rinko was nervous about having to deal with so many unfamiliar faces - she could familiarize herself with them if she so desired, but that was not Rinko's way. It felt as if it was only Lisa who was dissatisfied with the empty halls and locked doors of Dornengarten.

A guard was stationed outside Yuri's accommodations, and made way for the two princesses. Inside, they found Yuri awake, sat upon her bed, reading one of the books she had been allowed to peruse, a volume about the founding of Falterstadt, largest among the cities of the Rosenreich, now one of the few wherein the living still dwelled. From Yuri's expression, it did not seem like particularly interesting reading.

Sayo pulled a chair next to a writing desk, and sat upon it, while Lisa found a corner of the bed to sit on. Yuri's legs shied away from her, and she set the book aside. In her eyes remained the defiance that she had shown when captured, but her hair was disheveled, her nightgown a bit too small for her. And around her neck small runes shone a pale blue. Sayo's work, they would snuff out whatever magic Yuri tried to conjure. But still her demeanor was proud, unbroken. Not at all afraid, she stared Lisa and Sayo in the eyes.

"Your queen is sending her closest allies to interrogate a prisoner now," she remarked. "Are you stretched so thin?"

"Queen Minato is of the belief that there are tasks that only the highborn are suited to perform appropriately," said Sayo, "as does your own queen, it would appear. It was Queen Tamade who sent you, no?"

She kept her silence, as she had done before. Sayo did not appear frustrated. This was to be expected. Lisa approached Yuri, hoping her kind voice might yield better results.

"Lady Ushigome, our treatment of you thus far is proof of our honor. We've no desire to keep you imprisoned, much less hurt you. But we need to know what you were doing here, and why."

"You won't be freed immediately," Sayo said, "but your cooperation will make things easier and more comfortable for you. You should consider accepting our offer of kindness."

"Ah, so _this _is you mean to reveal your threats of death or torture?" Yuri asked. "You have Imai speak softly while your words carry danger underneath. I know how this game is played, my ladies. Espionage, assassination, interrogation… Thanks to me, all the blades that tried to claim my queen's life were foiled. Some of them were sent by you, were they not?"

"If I had sent an assassin to Haneoka," Sayo said, and of course she spoke of Fumi Yumeoji, "and you stood in her way, you would be dead with your queen. You might want to look within to see who might benefit from your queen's death. But that's not our current concern, is it? You may have learned your craft well, but you misunderstand us. We've no desire to torture you. You are too valuable to harm."

"You'll make me blush, Princess Hikawa, using such a word to describe me, and right next to your lover… Have you no shame?"

If she meant to provoke Sayo, she would have to try harder than that. Indeed, her visage did not change in the slightest in response to those words. For all the haughtiness she feigned, Yuri Ushigome had nothing to threaten them with save for her silence. Unfortunately, it seemed she intended to keep it.

"You are a noble-blooded hostage of a kingdom we are soon to invade," Sayo said, as if it were a casual matter. Lisa struggled to keep her composure, while Yuri's eye briefly twitched. "That is your value."

"You cannot win a war against Suilen," Yuri said. "Your country is in no condition to wage an extended war, and you will never advance quickly enough to break into Suilen's heartlands. If your queen means to march into war, then she is mad, and you are madder to follow. It seems, Princess Hikawa, that I had mistaken you for a sensible woman, but-"

"Your sister is head of House Ushigome in your absence," Sayo interrupted her. "By all accounts a meek woman, would Rimi value loyalty to her queen above your life, I wonder? Of course, one noble House's betrayal will not win a war by itself, but it tips the scales all the same."

"You just admitted your threats are empty and that you have no intention of harming me," Yuri replied. "Rimi is sweet and demure, but she is far from foolish. When you do not follow up on your threats, she will know that you are toothless, and as you said you don't mean to harm me, I don't understand what you intend to accomplish."

_She does not understand Sayo's words. _Lisa did, but did not show it. She turned aside to look at her lover's face, and there was something in it that had changed in her eyes, in the way she bit her lip as she always did when someone near her dared speak of sisterhood.

"Suilen will be destroyed," Sayo said. "It is inevitable. Your confidence in your kingdom's strength is hollow and meaningless. You may believe otherwise, but I assure you that you cannot win. Doubt me if you want, but I pose you this question: can you sleep easy wagering your sister's life on that confidence?"

"Wha-?"

"You know how the game is played, that is true. Those of us who work in the shadows learn to withstand duress and would sooner bite off our tongues than speak, under any pain. So instead I offer you the life of your sister. When we are done with Suilen, no matter what side Rimi decided to back, she will die. Unless, of course, you choose to speak. What did you want with the books you tried to steal? Were you sent by Queen Tamade, and for what purpose? Why task a lady of such high birth with theft and espionage? Come, Lady Ushigome, I understand your bonds are tight and I know the power of a sister's love."

"_You _speaking of sisterly love is the vilest of jokes," Yuri spat out her words with fury now. "If you truly knew them, you would never dare turn these feelings into a weapon. You are an asp, Sayo Hikawa, and you have no honor, so why should I believe your words? You lie about love, so you will lie about anything. You cannot win. Once again you'll break against the shield of Suilen, but this time you will not flee. I would have preferred it you simply threatened me instead of my sister, so that I could at least be free of the disgust I feel right now, looking into your unfeeling eyes…" Lisa looked at them as well, but they were anything but unfeeling. But she could not expect anyone to know Sayo as well as she did, so she only watched. "To think that I once pitied you, you know. To kill your mother to come into this world, no child deserves that life, but it seems that from birth you were poisonous. If only your sister had been the first to crawl out of the womb, so much harm would have been prevented."

"Mind your words," Lisa intervened, though Sayo continued to sit perfectly still, only gazing at the prisoner.

"It makes no matter, Princess Imai," Sayo spoke with her usual calm, not looking away from Yuri. She rose from her chair, looking down at the woman, still defiant, despite her quivering fingers. "Lady Ushigome, if you ever wish to confess, knock on your door and a guard will escort you to me. In time, though, I will be marching, so I expect you to make your decision by then. I will leave you to ponder your choices. Doubt me if you desire, but remember that your sister's safety depends only on your cooperation. Risk it if you will, at her peril."

She turned her back, and knocked on the door so that the guard might open it. Lisa followed right behind her, her steps just as hasty as Sayo's. Once they were a fair distance away, and stood alone on a corridor, by a window that showed only the ugliness of the thorn fields and desolation around the castle, Sayo reached for Lisa's hand. A sad anger filled her eyes, a sight that even Lisa found perplexing, for it was as much pain as it was annoyance.

"That was… Unpleasant," Lisa said. "She won't remain willful for long, though. Her worries will overpower her loyalty. And what she said to you-"

"One day, I hope, I might actually have a conversation where I am not compared to my sister," Sayo sighed. "Some shadows, I suppose, are inescapable, and I have brought it on myself by the manner of my threat, so I've no right to lament. No matter. I am not troubled, Princess Imai, so don't concern yourself with this. In truth, I am thankful that you were so eager to defend me. It makes me feel as though I don't deserve you, honorless as I am."

"Even as a joke," Lisa was stern, "do not say that. You'll make me feel bad."

"I apologize, then."

And that was the end of the matter; Lisa did not wish to talk any further about the subject, to remind Sayo of her sister. Instead, they chose to head to Dornengarten's concert hall, that they might practice with real instruments and not strings they found amidst the arcane powers that were the fabric of reality. When Lisa could _feel _the strings on her hands, she felt there was something more real about the music she made, with greater meaning imbued into it.

Halfway to the concert hall, near the chandler's workshop, the two chanced upon Rinko, and though for an instant Lisa was surprised to see her outside her study, just a moment later Ako walked up from behind her, and greeted them with her usual enthusiasm. A letter arrived, Rinko explained, to be delivered to the queen, with urgent news. Lisa inspected it closely, and saw in the wax seal the emblem of the Tsurumakis, a shining sun. Not wishing to waste any time, then, Lisa accompanied Ako and Rinko to the concert hall, understanding that it was far more likely to find Yukina there than seated upon her throne. Dornengarten was not a palace that was host to hundreds beyond counting, and Yukina was no queen to be trailed by a dozen ladies-in-waiting.

Indeed, they found the heavy stone doors of the concert hall open, and Yukina stood alone upon its distant stage. But even from afar her presence could never be disregarded. Through the glass ceilings right above the stage shone glimmers of light, reaching the queen, whose own beauty seemed to humble the lights surrounding her. She sang as her princesses approached her, her hand extended as if to invite them to take her side. Once this meeting was through, they would join her. For now, Rinko showed her the letter, and Yukina's voice grew silent, though for some instants its power lingered in the hall, echoing with a haunting beauty.

In silence, the five gathered in a circle. Rinko presented the letter to Yukina, who took it delicately, and with a motion of her index finger and a brief, quiet sound, the wax melted into nothing. A banal use of magic if there ever was one, but Yukina never did things the easy way.

"Lady Hoshimi's handwriting is as elegant as ever," she commented. "This manner of refinement is a flower I never expected to bloom in the heart of Reverie. I often exchange letters with Queen Tsurumaki, and her words are difficult to decipher. It's a good thing she has enough sense to leave matters of state to her Loremaster," she began to read the letter, then, eyes quickly scanning it from left to right. "Hm. How shocking," she said, with nary a hint of shock in her voice. "Has Tsurumaki dismissed her advisors? I'd sent the message with the expectation that our invitation would be refused, so that my journey there could serve as a token of good faith and win us Reverie's friendship, but it appears their queen has simply accepted the request."

"Is that bad?" Ako questioned. "Will it require a change of plans in any way?"

"No," Yukina said. "We will proceed as usual, Ako. Still, it is mildly concerning that our ally should be so reckless… And so forthcoming. Lady Matsubara, one of her generals, has been captured by Coloratus. As Sayo predicted, an opportunity _did _arise, though not as we expected. Tsurumaki is reckless enough already, and losing her friend…"

"I suppose that confirms the matters of alliances for the coming war," Sayo remarked. "Coloratus and Reverie are at odds, and Queen Tsurumaki comes to us to accept our offer of friendship. Suilen's bonds with Coloratus shall tighten even further in response."

"Can we take them on?" Lisa asked. "With Reverie's armies, the odds are evened, but still not in our favor. And," she recalled Yuri's words, "we cannot win a war of attrition. Suilen and Coloratus have far more resources than we do, and more people, too."

"We _must _win," said Rinko. "If we don't, well… If we delay, then we'll die here. The land is dying. It always has been, but now it's worse. Lady Asaka has abandoned her domains and alongside her people she sought shelter in Falterstadt, which is still holding on, for the time being, but Lady Hanayagi writes to inform me that some of the farmlands surrounding the city have started to show signs of withering and disease."

"Still, it strikes me as foolhardy to wage a war we're not sure of winning," Lisa said. "Once Reverie is by our side, they won't wait to strike, and we'll have no choice but to follow."

"You're right, of course," Yukina said, softly. "We need more time. We always need more time, yet we are never able to find it. Were I to choose, we would strike only when we could guarantee victory, after acquiring the magic we still lack. But we cannot. Because if we wait, our enemies get stronger and the Rosenreich will continue to languish and die. We'll force them to respond, that they won't be able to prepare as much as they would desire. Let them respond to us, and in that chaos we may find some space to breathe. Suilen and Coloratus have used most of their Melodies to heal the wounds of their lands, as if unaware that Melodies are treasures one cannot replace. We only need to gain some ground, and those bountiful lands will be ours, and that will already be enough to ease some of the pressure we face."

"About the Melodies…" Rinko turned to Sayo, "I've finished inspecting the books that Lady Ushigome had attempted to steal, and they appear intact. More importantly, the volumes she sought were, shall I say… Quite specific."

"Indeed," she said. "I've not yet pried the truth from Lady Ushigome, but I believe she may loosen her tongue soon. And I would be most interested in hearing how she came to learn of the Elder Harmonies. Through her sister, perhaps. Still, all of the tomes she planned on taking were about that subject."

"I don't really understand what those are," Ako said what Lisa was merely thinking. "They're just Melodies, Rinko told me, so what makes them special?"

"They were Melodies that existed before the Silence," Rinko explained. "See, in all the old volumes of magical theory, there is no mention of any force like the Melodies we know, so we can be sure that they were born after the Silence fell upon the world. A Melody is music given form, but beyond that it is _memory_. Our lost past resides in the music we forgot. So why would any exist _before _this past was lost?"

"It is most curious," Yukina continued. "Music - and therefore magic - can exist without Melodies, for it is a fundamental force, but of course, with little recollection of the music we once knew we need these crystallized memories to rekindle the old magics that once filled the world. Thus, the Elder Harmonies are an enigma. They existed before the world forgot, and even then they were artifacts of great power. A Melody, but greater in every way. And far better-studied than our own Melodies, given that the magicians of the old world had centuries to understand them."

"The Deadlands swallowed them," Rinko said. "If they still exist, that is. We cannot even be sure of that, but if they do, then they most certainly reside beyond the Rift. Lady Ushigome's sister has been beyond the Rift. I am unsure of what they found there, but it was enough to make Lady Ushigome interested in the Elder Harmonies."

"If the knowledge has reached Suilen," Sayo continued, "it is only safe to assume that it has - or will - continue to spread. We meant to keep this secret, but it seems we failed."

"The Luminous Harmony," Yukina said, "the Scarlet Harmony, the others even _we _don't know… Our enemies may see them as the key to bringing an end to the Silence, for they are a power that precedes the ruin of the world. If we cannot claim control of them, then we, in turn, cede control of the world. That is unacceptable. Suilen, Coloratus, Reverie… All unfit to dictate the future of the world. We do not have the time to scour the Deadlands for these relics we know so little about, with war approaching. A pity. The Phoenix Harmony that Rinko uncovered, the magic that Ako has studied, the armies that Lisa amassed and the Melodies that Sayo has secured… My hope was that we could begin our attack only when all was in place. But no matter," she declared. "Mitake hesitated when she had the opportunity to claim power over the Rosenreich, and doomed our rebellion with that folly. I will not hesitate. I will not wait for a better time, for there will be none. We _will _win," Yukina promised. "We must."

"My research has not reached its end yet," Ako said, "but at your command, I'll begin the required preparations. Already our blacksmiths have completed over a thousand pieces of armor, so once you give me the order, I shall wake our sleeping soldiers."

"That's not enough," Yukina said, "not nearly enough, but a fair start all the same. If we manage to secure some territory, just enough to build farms and mines of our own, and all the spoils of Suilen and Coloratus, we can compose our victory from there, piecemeal. We will strike quickly, but let Reverie bear the brunt of the losses. After that, we'll wrap our fingers around the throats of the false queens, and choke the life from them. I have sent summons to all our allies, and they will be here soon. We should make the most out of the coming days, for this will be a lengthy war. So let us play together, once again. Join me in a dirge. Slow, funereal, heavy with pain and sorrow… Let us make it an omen of the fate that awaits our enemies."

* * *

_Even in Dahliengrau, heart of Shirokane power in the easternmost of the Rosenreich's provinces, Lisa did not feel like they were far enough from the eyes of the Rose Council to rest easy. Though there was no one in the meeting chambers but herself, Yukina, Sayo, Rinko and Yukina, and the girl from Suilen, Lady Sarah Kazuno, she found herself always looking from one side to the other, trying to hear any footsteps from behind the door, and wondered how a spy might find their way into this room, unseen. It was impossible, and Yukina had told her there was no need to think too much about this matter, but still Lisa worried. They had gone beyond mere whispers of conspiracy, receiving an envoy from a foreign kingdom._

"_You understand we cannot actually march a great army by your side," Lady Sarah explained, sipping the wine that had been offered. "For the time being, my queen is interested in maintaining the balance of power between Suilen, Coloratus and Reverie, so if we were to overtly take part in a coup, well, they might get worried, and we cannot face the two of them."_

"_I understand," Yukina said. "The supplies you've promised will bring us that much closer to victory, and we have enough support to amass an army of our own. So long as Queen Tamade is willing to support us after we take over, I'd be happy to strengthen our ties of friendship."_

"_We will, of course, provide you with mercenaries," said Lady Sarah. "Just a hundred of them, but all mounted and skilled. They hail from Reverie, deserting its army to fight for the highest bidder. Which, of course, is always Queen Tamade, now that the wealth of the Tsurumakis has turned into air and dust."_

"_Excellent," said Yukina. "Our armies will gather by Schneeberg, before riding north to take the fight to Teufelhain. The Council's allies will bleed one by one, and when they fail to maintain their grip on the realm, the nobles of the Rosenreich shall see that their devotion to such an archaic manner of ruling will lead them nowhere."_

"_They shall indeed," Sarah rose, finishing her wine, before shaking Yukina's hand. "We have much to gain from an alliance, my lady. Queen Tamade will be glad to know that you have accepted her friendship."_

"_May it blossom, then," Yukina said as Lady Sarah turned back and left, closing the door behind her._

_For a time, there was silence. Yukina stared at her own glass of wine, untouched, while Rinko and Ako exchanged glances, quietly, with Sayo finally rising from her seat on the opposite side of the room, next to a rack full of scrolls and maps. She approached the table, and called Yukina's attention, speaking directly to her. Sayo was always one to urge caution, but she had stayed silent during this meeting, even as Yukina revealed to Sarah Kazuno all that she planned._

"_There are two possibilities here," Sayo said. "Suilen is playing a very elaborate game, and Lady Kazuno is aware of our intentions and is attempting her own ruse. The other possibility is that she has absolutely no respect for our intelligence. Which do you find more likely?"_

"_It won't matter," said Yukina. "She knows nothing of value, nothing truthful. She will either further our purposes or accomplish very little. Queen Tamade thinks herself crafty, but she is unaware of a world outside of her own mind, and is thus incapable of predicting anyone's behavior."_

"_I feel like there's something the two of you know," Lisa interrupted, "but have not told us."_

"_We have no intention of allying with Suilen," Yukina explained, "because Suilen's queen despises me and would never help us. I have slighted her some years ago, and she is a woman who cultivates grudges. She will betray us. If we marched to Teufelhain, we would be caught in a trap, because Lady Sarah is sure to inform the Rose Council of our intentions as soon as she leaves the castle. And the mercenaries she promised would try to slit our throats in our sleep. Teufelhain does not matter, truthfully. It may appear an appetizing fruit, with its farmlands, but too difficult to hold, for there is nothing there but plains and no fortifiable position. It is Falterstadt we need. Our grandiose capital, wherein the Rosenturm rises to the skies… That is our goal. Let the Council think it will meet us at Teufelhain, far to the west, while instead we march east."_

"_Clever," Rinko said, impressed. "But still, can we take Falterstadt? Even if we dispose of the Rose Council, they still have plenty of support among the other Houses… After all, many of them have members in the Council."_

"_Those other Houses will not exist for long," Yukina promised. "Only the ones who heard my summons and now wait for us outside are deserving of existing in the Rosenreich we shall build. The rest will vanish from history. Their lands will be given to the devoted and their bloodlines will be erased, hunted down to the last. For that is the price of weakness and cowardice. Have your Walküre call our allies now, Rinko. We write the future of the Rosenreich now."_

_Rinko did as she was asked; she opened the door to call the captain of Dahliengrau's guard, the Walküre Ryo Aikawa, honored with knighthood for her value in battle. The daughter of a lesser noble who was vassal to House Shirokane, Lisa recalled watching her fight in the tournament at Seiran, though she had not been one of its main contenders and was defeated quite early. Still, she was loyal, and Rinko trusted her, so what else mattered?_

_Soon enough, the chamber was filled with the allies Yukina had invited into the plot: first came Lady Tsushima, who ran to greet Ako, a fellow enthusiast in necromancy and demonology. Last survivor of a minor House sworn to Teufelhain, she had no troops to offer but magic and all the grimoires she had stolen from Teufelhain when she left. Not long after, the two Kurobane sisters took their seats, the elder sitting opposite to Yukina but the youngest sycophantically dragging a chair to sit right next to Lady Minato, even offering her a blue rose._

_The sisters that came after, however, were far less cooperative with one another; the Yumeojis had a complicated history, and Fumi had recently relinquished her claim on Jadepalais, letting her sister rule over the family lands. Shiori sat by Rinko's side, while Fumi preferred to stay close to Sayo. Lisa took the other seat next to Yukina, while Lady Ohara soon sat by her side, greeting her warmly. Lisa had not seen her in over a year, but she answered her summons with enthusiasm._

Her _summons, not Yukina. While she was the one to orchestrate this new attempt at seizing power, Yukina was not exactly the sort to build relationships with others, so it fell upon Lisa to decide who they should invite to the conspiracy, for she knew everyone who mattered in the Rosenreich, and could vouch to their characters._

_More entered the chamber, enough that Rinko had to order a pair of servants to bring more chairs. Lady Kagura had brought a handmaid with her, and Lady Ohara a trusted Walküre to guard her, while the ladies Nishikino and Takamagahara had not confirmed they would join them, which brought Sayo and Rinko some worry, but when they came to Dahliengrau they explained there were agents of the Council in their own domains, and any ravens they sent would surely be intercepted. Thus, their arrivals were unexpected, but welcome._

_Lady Claudine, Yukina's sole contribution that she did not owe to Lisa, came alongside Lady Hanayagi, and the sight of the treasonous bitch soured Lisa's spirits. She would sooner die than ever suggest Kaoruko Hanayagi was worth trusting. She should not be here, so whose doing was it? Yukina's, or Sayo's? Whatever the reason, Lisa misliked her presence greatly. Still, for the sake of Yukina, she kept her doubts to herself. Now that all had taken their seats, there was no reason to delay, and neither Sayo nor Yukina had any interest in small talk._

"_I pray you've not come here with any uncertainty," Yukina began. "By stepping foot in Dahliengrau, you've promised your support to me, and to my vision of a stronger Rosenreich, one that needn't bow to the whims of the Rose Council that dictates our fates from afar."_

"_We all understand that," said Claudine. Her House was founded as a cadet branch of some Minatos ages ago, granted lands for their valor in exploring some oversea lands and bringing riches to the Rosenreich. That was what the books said, at least. Nowadays, the Saijous had little other than pride and a decently large army. "I don't expect that anyone here could expect to refuse you and walk out alive, and I've no intentions of finding out if you'd kill your own kin. And, besides, the Council is made of fools and parasites. The sooner we purge these vermin, the sooner we'll recover from our misfortunes."_

"_If you think so, why didn't you take part in the first rebellion?" Kaoruko asked, inconvenient as always. "Why only now?"_

"_Past allegiances no longer matter," Lisa intervened, lest her silence make Kaoruko bold enough to pick a fight with someone. "Shirokane and Hikawa did not fight during the first attempt, but now they are here. You may call that disloyalty, but their armies are unbloodied, their lands undamaged. We shall all feast together this night, my ladies, and the bountiful harvests of these lands are only possible because war never brought its fire here."_

"_My own House fought against your rebellion," said Lady Sakura Kurobane. "Though led by my mother, then. Our people bled for those unsightly bastards at the Rosenturm, and our reward was confiscation of my family's ancestral relics, as we could not pay our due taxes thanks to half of our adult population dying fighting their bloody war. The Council's armies chose to make our lands their battlefields, and we only suffered for it. Now let them suffer a thousandfold."_

"_This crime will be repaid, I promise you," said Yukina. "Your treasures will be returned to your hold of Rosenfeste, and the Council's riches will be distributed to you all."_

"_I do not ask for much," Lady Mari Ohara said. "Only for the return of my Melodies, stolen by Council agents. I long to sing again, but without them, I… I am not strong enough to weave music without the aid of a Melody."_

"_Sounds like everyone got fucked in the ass by the Council," said Fumi, glancing at her sister, who looked away. "Still, we're not children, and haven't gathered to commiserate and compose a list of all our grievances. Tears and lamentations don't matter. In the end it comes down to blood, and how much we can shed. If I remember correctly, the marshals at Jadepalais can raise a host of one thousand and four hundred soldiers, is that it?" Shiori nodded. "Of course, we could scour the villages to see if there are peasants hiding under piles of shit, then put swords in their hands, but we felt the Bloodblight quite harshly."_

"_We don't have many people to spare," said Shiori. "The populace that still lives is mostly occupied trying to eke out some green from the tainted soil. My sister has her knights, too, but I don't believe they number much more than a hundred."_

_All around the table, then, the gathered ladies one by one revealed how much support they could pledge to the rebellion, and with each House the number seemed to become a little bit smaller, though Yukina concealed her disappointment admirably. And she _had _to be disappointed. What they had was not even nine thousand, less than half the Rose Council could muster, and they had even scarcer supplies. By the time they had all finished speaking, they optimistically planned how to divide the Rosenreich after their victory. This, at least, seemed to bring _some _joy to the table, because everyone had something they desired, a rival House they wanted to extinguish, territories their families had always eyed. Fumi wanted lands of her own, while Lady Hikari Kagura vied for her suzerain's demesne in addition to her own. Lady Yoshiko Tsushima asked for Teufelhain, that haunted castle she stole secrets from. One by one they made their demands, and Yukina saw no reason to deny them._

"_My own demands you already know," Ako was the last to speak. "Justice for the family stolen from me, and a pardon for my sister. Everything else I want, our war will provide naturally. Death and ghosts, blood and bones."_

"_Ako Udagawa," Kaoruko spoke out. "Your family was more involved than most in the failed rebellion, yet you were spared. Since we are all allies here, we must speak truthfully, so I would ask you if the rumors are true, of _why _the Council chose to spare you."_

"_What rumor?" Lady Maki Nishikino was notoriously reclusive, but even so it was surprising that there was someone unaware of the vicious slander spread about Ako._

"_That the departed Lord Udagawa is Ako's father," Fumi replied, "but Lady Udagawa is not her mother. It was a mocking gesture, you see, to humiliate and intimidate anyone who would dare oppose the council again. _Take up arms against us and we'll erase your history by letting a bastard lead your House. _That was the intention, at least, and the two Udagawa sisters do look quite dissimilar, what with the eldest being a fucking giantess and Ako being, well, not. So there were many who were willing to believe the rumor."_

"_I don't care about the truth," said Ako. "The love I grew up with will always be the same. Children don't always resemble their parents, and often that means nothing. Thinking elsewise would be a disrespect to my parents' memory. I never felt humiliated, only wroth to see my sister banished."_

"_And it doesn't matter," Yukina declared. "Birth is significant only in the powers it grants you. Baseborn or trueborn… Ako controls her House, and has done what she could to rebuild it. Beyond that, there is nothing."_

"_I suppose you mean to tell that to the smallfolk outside the walls?" Claudine asked. "I'm sure that the mud underneath our boots would be overjoyed to hear that birth does not matter, shortly before tearing us to pieces, of course. Blood matters."_

"_I did not say it doesn't," Yukina clarified. Her voice was growing louder now, revealing its true intensity and power. "What I meant is that you, the Council, so many others, you all waste your time with these notions of bloodrights, honor, humiliations and slights. But they are lies, you see. There is no truth in this world but power. I was born to nobility, and the peasants outside the walls were not, and thus they are mine, because they cannot fight the power I wield. We have thick walls, armored knights and magic. Everything else is an illusion told by fools, the meaningless immaterial of nobility, of honor and chivalry, and we put on our pretty colors and march under elaborate banners to pretend this has a deep meaning, that this is fair and righteous. In truth, we are entitled only to that which we can take and that which we can hold."_

"_Then why rebel?" Lady Hikari Kaguya asked. "Why do anything at all?"_

"_During the Year of False Peace, we were the mightiest of the realms," Yukina said, and in her words Lisa could only hear the voice of a queen, the same voice she had heard all her life, the voice of this woman born to dominate. "Now we starve and rot. Cities and villages have been deserted, its former inhabitants now living like beasts, fighting for every scrap of food they can find. The laws of man have failed. Let us usher in, instead, the first of all laws of this world: power. We don't need the Council. We can rule our own lands as we see fit, because they are ours. Because if we are defeated, then we deserve to remain in bondage. If we don't have the power to take this kingdom and save it, then we deserve to watch it die. And above all we would deserve to die with it."_

"_You really think highly of yourself, don't you?" Fumi asked. "That's a fascinating philosophy. See that you stay on top, then, because I will gladly follow you."_

"_Of course you will," Yukina retorted. "You are no fool, nor are you weak. None of you are, else I would never waste my time with you. What I'm telling you is nothing new to you, even if you never put it into words. It is not mere vengeance we desire, nor is it boons or privileges. It is greatness we seek, at any cost. And the toll it demands is blood."_

_All around the table, the gathered ladies showed their smiles and satisfaction, though Yukina never did. Unchanging, her eyes revealed nothing to anyone who was not Lisa herself, she who understood Yukina as no one could. The price of greatness was blood, and Yukina would never hesitate to shed it._

* * *

She found Arisa in the glass gardens of Albioturris, tending to flowers of colors so bright that Misaki could not recall such beauty. Outside, all she had ever seen since she woke by a sacked caravan was grey and brown, or mossy greens that might as well be black for all that Misaki could tell them apart from the rest of the landscapes. And yet, even here, there was something strange. Perhaps it was the fact that she could not feel the dirt underneath her feet, nor could she smell the scent of flowers and crops, and her cheeks were scorned by the kisses of the heat here. Arisa's hair was wet, and drops of sweat fell from her forehead onto the dirt underneath, but Misaki felt absolutely nothing.

_There are only plants here_, she realized. Though for an instant, when she entered, she thought of this glass garden as a veritable forest compared to the outside world, there were no bugs here, no life to dwell amidst the greenery. Silent, it was unpleasantly unnatural, compared to what Misaki thought a forest should be like. _I have seen forests before_, she recalled with absolute certainty. _But was that before the Silence, or after? _That was beyond her recollection, for unlike everyone else, there were two layers of oblivion in her mind. Frustrated, she sat next to Arisa, who did not look away from her flowers.

"I thought there were only crops being grown here," Misaki said. "These flowers, however, are beautiful."

"Albioturris can afford to plant flowers, for now," Arisa explained. "The queen enjoys them, so she arranged for a garden to be cultivated. But only one, as even with magic to protect them and urge them to grow, the seeds themselves are rare. Most of them are held in Suilen like treasures, in… In my old home. There the gardens were grand, though only a small portion of them had been saved. I would walk among the roses and peonies, and smile at the orchids blooming in all their colors, but sadness would always return when I looked aside and saw that so much of the garden was empty. Before the Silence, it was a city of flowers, the mosaic of spring, painted with heaven's watercolors. I've only read that in books, though. I don't even remember the gardens I knew as a child, though the words my ancestors wrote make me know that the longing I feel deep inside is not irrational. I _have _indeed lost something precious, that cannot be replaced."

"I'm very sorry," Misaki said. "I understand the pain of missing something you cannot recall. To miss a piece of yourself in that way is agonizing. But look," she pointed at the daisies that Arisa was caring for. "You may have forgotten your days in your garden, but your body has not. Look how gentle your slightest motions are, how you touch these petals but they don't shift or bend, nor remain marked by your fingertips, much less torn. You did not lose your talent. It was never gone."

"W-What are you trying to flatter me for?" Arisa looked away, but soon she leaned towards Misaki once again. "It's true, I _did _know what I was doing even right after the Silence, when I didn't even know _where _I was. I would see my own castle and think it a stranger's home. To tell the truth, I still do. There is a strange emptiness there, and I don't know what was it that filled it once, but it was not me, because whenever I was there, the hollowness of the palace would dig its way into my heart. The Silence made me less than what I was, once. It did that to all of us."

"Is that why you left?" Arisa did not answer immediately, and instead she was silent, removing a vial from a pocket and pouring a few drops of a golden liquid onto the soil of the garden. She inspected each flower delicately, and when she touched their thorns she did not wince in pain, nor was she cut. And there were plenty of those, and vines as well. Whoever was responsible for the flowers here didn't much care about their appearance. "Arisa?"

"What is it to you?" She asked. "Surely you understand that when people abandon their homes, they don't wish to be reminded of them, as they left for a reason. You shouldn't care about my past, your past, the past. There isn't one anymore. There is only this eternal today."

"There is tomorrow," Misaki reminded her. "With our past gone, what are we but beasts? That's what the Silence did, no? When it devoured music, it devoured our history, our memories, our lullabies sung to us by our mothers. But they're not gone. We just forgot, and we need to reclaim them."

"You should be telling that sentimental nonsense to Aya, not me," Arisa approached a wilting violet, and poured another liquid on it, this time a thick purple goop. "That would lift her spirits. Go do that now. I'm busy here."

"I can't," Misaki said. "She's with Hina."

Arisa groaned, and with no further options, accepted her steelclad companion. Misaki hadn't lied, of course: she preferred to avoid Hina Hikawa, this woman who stared at her like she was a freak. Which, of course, she was, but still she resented being a spectacle.

"I just find you curious," she told Arisa. "There, this flower," she pointed. "It looks stunted. Don't gardeners prune trees and flowers when they don't grow as they want? I'll get some shears-"

"Why?" Arisa didn't look away from the flowers. "They're pretty. You prune them when they are unhealthy, not when you want them to grow larger, when you want a tree's branches to extend. That's a stupid thought. Why should flowers bloom as we desire, and why should we blame them for existing as they do, as they always did? A gardener needs only to preserve, and let nature take its course. It will produce its own beauty, while our hands can only ever create something tainted by humanity."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"It's not," said Arisa. "It's only pointless. If you wanted a beauty of your making, according to your standards, you might as well take up painting. Flowers ask that you just watch. Accept them. Preserve their health, but no more. I enjoy it. It forces you to throw away some of your pride, your desire for control and of shaping the world as you will it. Because nature does not care about your will."

"Yes, because when I see you the first thing that comes to mind is that you're very good at throwing away your pride. Well done."

"Go fuck yourself, lackwit," Arisa replied, returning to normalcy. "There's more to life than being clever and always having something to say. Serves me right for trying to teach some fucking peasant a concept more complicated than not shitting on the water you drink from, or not fucking wildlife."

"I meant no offense," was all Misaki could say. "You needn't be so angry, you know. Why, someone might hear the words you say and think you're trying to push people away, but I know you're not a bad person."

"You don't know anything," Arisa told her. "There's just air inside your helmet. Bad people, good people. Bleh! You sound like… Like Aya."

"Listen, you are a noblewoman who chose to make a village in the middle of nowhere your home, and there you cared for the sick, suffering through a great deal of discomfort you were unused to. You could have gone anywhere else, if you just wanted to run away. And clearly you look down on anyone of lesser birth than you, so it's just strange that you'd care in the slightest about the life of some toothless farmer out there."

"Do I need to care about their lives for them to have value?" Arisa asked. She placed her vials back in her pocket, finally finished, and when she rose, she picked up a handful of dirt, letting it fall slowly onto the soil by her feet. "Is that not some manner of arrogance? Yes, they smell like pig shit and worse, and I would rather they didn't open their mouths in my presence. Still, they deserve to live, to feed their children, to die of old age. I can't believe I'm having to explain this to you. You really are a moron."

"I see, I see," Misaki would smile if she could. "What an odd person you are, Lady Ichigaya. Not to worry, though. I may not understand why you try so hard to push everyone away, but I'll keep your true nature a secret. But I do appreciate you opening up, in your own way. I feel like I understand you more than I did before."

"What are you even talking about?" Arisa snarled. "Please, stop disturbing me. And…" She paused. She was thinking of whether or not she should say something. Misaki did not urge her. If she was ever to do so, it had to be her own decision. "Stop making me think about the past, about how I ended up in the middle of nowhere. When I told you there was a reason I left, that was true, so please, don't pry. I had a reason to come, too. But my reasons are not yours to know. This is all I'm willing to say to indulge your curiosity. Just don't tell Aya. She would start imagining the possibilities, questioning me, and then I would never know peace again."

"As I said, you've no reason to worry. Your deeds may betray what your words try to conceal, but I won't betray you. If you'd rather bury that which is the best of you, so be it. Farewell, Lady Ichigaya. Do enjoy your flowers. They are blooming quite beautifully, and are sure to be even more lovely now that they're under your care."

She walked away, then, leaving Arisa by herself. She heard no footsteps behind her heavy, metallic ones, nor any other sound. When she chose to look back, she found Arisa standing still, on the very same spot as before, clumps of dirt falling through the gaps between her fingers.


	10. The Words Gnawed by Silence

Hanasakigawa was the same as when Rimi had left it: a quiet, peaceful village, one where life could thrive, not at all like where Arisa had chosen to hide in. Here, Rimi heard the voices of children, the sounds of them playing, carefree as they kicked a ball towards one another. And none were cloaked, as was usual. Some couldn't keep their mouths shut, such was the size of their fangs, but that didn't prevent them from smiling. Others were missing limbs, but that was not due to the Silence but the hardships they had faced. Plenty of them had ears like those of beasts in addition to their normal ones, and now and then there were loud complaints that someone had been smacked by a careless tail. But all was forgiven and forgotten a moment later.

Rimi enjoyed watching these games, meaningless distractions that they were. They had built something important here, something valuable. These were children of the Silence, most of them orphans, found beyond the Rift. They were almost feral then, clinging to the remains of their humanity with difficulty, but now Rimi saw them as any other children. They were afflicted by Melomania, and craved music, always, but so long as their urges were fed, their condition would not worsen.

_Not worsen_, Arisa had scoffed when Kasumi first asked her for help to build the village. _That's not the same as getting better, you know. A life spent in sickness, dependent on magic… _Rimi wished she could have seen things otherwise. But thinking of Arisa would not do her any good now, and she wouldn't breathe life into the name, not here, not in Kasumi's presence. Kasumi was working so hard, harder than anyone else, and she didn't deserve to be reminded. She didn't deserve that pain, so Rimi took it for herself.

"Rimi!" A boy ran up to her, asking if she had brought anything from foreign lands. Soon, there were over a dozen children gathered around her. Each time she left with her caravan, she would be greeted by the youngest of Hanasakigawa, and after the first time, she knew better than to be caught unawares, and always returned with small gifts for them. She handed them toys, and lied to the children, saying they were bought in Coloratus, when she had actually purchased them at Otonokizaka, three days to the south of Hanasakigawa. It made them happier, and was a harmless lie. "Have you been south?"

"I always go south," Rimi laughed. "No point going west, most merchants already make those routes, and, besides, the southron villages of Coloratus need help."

There was no point in telling these young children that this also meant that House Ushigome was close to exhausting all its wealth. First there was Arisa's refusal to help with the construction of Hanasakigawa, or to buy the supplies it needed to begin sustaining itself. Then, Rimi learned that the poorest villages of Suilen and Coloratus couldn't afford even nominal fees, so destitute they had become. They came to depend on her family, because Coloratus had all but abandoned them. Occasionally a peasant would muster some pride and insist on trading a cow or pig, or perhaps some tools that belonged to one of theirs who had recently died. Rimi could not bear to accept such pittances, knowing they were worth a great deal to these paupers. So their arrangement was simply for Rimi to hand them over what they needed, and she would accept whatever money they managed to accumulate after the rare occasions they could sell some of their produce to some lord or another.

Usually, that meant nothing. Far from the domains of the greater nobles of their kingdoms, they were only occasionally bothered by a lady's soldiers, but in turn they never received help, and most cities and castles were too distant. Like the lands around them, those villages withered, and so did their people. And soon even Rimi wouldn't be able to offer much help.

_How many times will I be able to bring these kids presents? _It was such a small, meaningless concern, Rimi knew, and she felt foolish for even considering it. But the fear that this happiness might not last forever would never leave her. Thus far, Hanasakigawa had only known good harvests, and the Melodies shielded it from the worst of the Silence's afflictions. But for how long?

That was something only the stars knew, and only Kasumi could hear their songs. If Kasumi was confident that this was the way, then Rimi would put her faith in her, for the future was clearer to Kasumi than to anyone in the world. Once the children of Hanasakigawa grew bored of Rimi's decidedly unremarkable tales of her travels, she was free to head towards Kasumi's house, as it was early enough in the morning for her to be confident that she'd find her still asleep.

It surprised her, then, that after knocking on the door, it was opened in instants, and by Kasumi herself. Only when she saw Asuka not too far away, chopping some fruits in the kitchen, she understood who it was to thank for Kasumi being awake before noon. She embraced Kasumi, who struggled to let go, as she always did, her arms wrapped so tightly around Rimi that it became difficult to breathe. But she would never ask Kasumi to stop a gesture that was as earnest as her. Then, she hugged Asuka, though a bit confused to find her here. She was being helped in the kitchen by a woman Rimi recognized as the daughter of Lord Asahi, who shied away towards a corner until called by Asuka and Kasumi to join them.

"You look well," Kasumi told Rimi. "I've missed you, Rimi. We all did. We're glad to have you back."

"I'm glad to be here, too," she said. "When I entered the village, I could smell bread, and knew it was Saya's work, and I considered just making my way to the dining hall, but I figured I'd wake you up so that you'd have a pleasant surprise. In the end I was the one surprised to find you up."

"I can't allow my sister to sleep until noon," Asuka explained. "Hanasakigawa looks up to her, and needs her guidance. She's old enough to take responsibility. She's been old enough to do that for a while, in fact."

"Asuka, don't be mean," Kasumi said. "I just like resting, that's all. You can't fault me for that."

"Might I ask why you're here, though?" Rimi changed the subject. "I thought you were supposed to be in Tateshiro with Lady Asahi…"

"I was," Asuka said, calling Lady Asahi to come closer, which she did reluctantly. "Lady Rokka and I had been there for some time, but… Well, Tateshiro has fallen. Brigands came under the guise of merchants, led by Ran Mitake, seeking the Melody that was housed in the castle. We've saved the Melody, but not the castle, nor its garrison."

"It was a failure on my part," Rokka said, meekly, looking like she wished to talk about anything else. "I should have tried to rescue my people, not retrieve the Melody. Its magic isn't worth the loss that befell Tateshiro…"

"If a Melody found its way into Ran Mitake's hands," Rimi spoke gently, "even greater calamities could follow. I understand you wish you could have saved everyone. We all do. But we are only human, and we fail. If we let the guilt of not being able to do more paralyze us, then we'll find ourselves doing nothing at all."

"I _really _missed you," Kasumi told her, drawing a giggle from Rimi. "I tried to tell that to Rokka, but you just said it much better. I don't believe we'll keep this Melody for long, however. Queen Chiyu will claim it soon. We sent her word of what had happened in Tateshiro, so by now she must have already taken some measures."

That meant it was out of their hands. Their queen's diligence often led her to refuse to delegate duties, although perhaps it was more that Queen Tamade looked down on everyone around her and decided they were unfit to make decisions. So now they had no choice but to wait for the queen's plans for the future.

It would not be long before she learned them, however: when she made her way to the center of the village alongside Kasumi, Rokka and Asuka, she heard Tae's shouts, her arm waving clumsily to call their attention, and before Rimi could even greet her, she explained that riders were approaching Hanasakigawa, and they bore the royal banners of Suilen, the golden lotus on a field of red. Tae and Rei often went beyond the village's walls to scout, which everyone understood was an excuse for them to spend time together, as there were few real dangers as of late, save for the occasional beast that had fallen too far in its corruption to be saved. It was always painful to put them down, especially when there always remained the uncertainty that there was something that could be done to them, but it was for the safety of Hanasakigawa and the Melomaniacs that there dwelled. The feral creatures had to die lest they terrorize Suilen and give credence to the fears that all who were touched by the Silence were doomed to become monstrous abominations.

It had been hard enough to found Hanasakigawa and to lead it to thrive, and harder still to convince the people of Suilen that there was no danger to live alongside those they called Melomaniacs. A cruel name, Rimi found, but theirs was a cruel affliction. Food was not enough to nourish them, for they needed music as well, and the power of Melodies. They had already been tainted by the Silence and their bodies were plagued by deformities, but as long as they were fed song and memory, they could cling to their humanity. And while even Rimi could never truly get used to their monstrous traits, their flayed skin, their many eyes and fangs, their scales and tails, she never looked away, for she had come to learn a truth that could not be escaped: though they were given a different name, as if they were no longer human, and though the toll the Silence demanded of them was impossible to ignore, they were the same as Rimi, as anyone else. Without music, without Kasumi and without the Melodies they collected together, she would be in their place, decaying, her mind fraying and all memory of light and music vanishing. It was only luck that spared her this fate, and nothing more. If she lived closer to the Deadlands, if she had not been saved by Kasumi, if she had by mere happenstance been somewhere the Silence fell more fiercely, she could be one of the beasts that roamed the woods near Hanasakigawa, the ones who had no choice but to perish.

These harrowing thoughts were never too distant. Rimi would never let herself forget all this that she learned. As she waited for the arrival of the queen's knights, she ate with the people of Hanasakigawa, and enjoyed the bounty of its farms, now that the village had grown enough to sustain itself with little outside help. Now it could help the rest of Suilen, instead, if necessary. Already Saya spoke of plans of sharing food with other villages, and Tae, excited, remarked that once the people of Suilen saw that Hanasakigawa was only improving their lives, even those who were doubtful would come to appreciate it, and know that those they called Melomaniacs were not a threat but their neighbors.

Rimi heard the sounds of trotting, and with her friends she left the dining hall to greet the queen's emissaries. Twenty knights, at least, and several men-at-arms clad in heavy plate, carrying long spears alongside their banners. Rimi could tell the knights were not sworn to the remnants of House Nyubara but were the queen's own household knights, for their armor was gilded and their blades were truesilver. They circled the group that came to meet them, and in truth would have made an impressive and intimidating sight if not for Lady Nyubara's warhorse deciding that now was as good a time as any to make water, forming a puddle that Reona had to awkwardly step over. One of her knights laughed, but Rimi could not see which.

Her hair was pure black now, with not a trace of the usual dyes she wore at court. Clad in armor, she was also noticeably shorter than the last time Rimi had seen her, at Haneoka, giving credence to the whispers that at court she wore boots that made her appear even taller than she already was. Rimi had the distinct impression that before the Silence, when courtly diplomacy meant more than it does now, Reona might have made for a great lady, for she had a stronger grasp on the power of appearances than most, but House Nyubara was practically extinguished by the Silence and its horrors in mere hours after it fell upon Suilen, and until they had been pacified and cleansed with the power of a Melody found in the ruins of Koyama, the lands of House Nyubara were a nightmare of monsters and decay.

"Lady Nyubara," Rimi nodded respectfully, while Asuka, Saya and Kasumi were quick to bow, while Tae attempted a clumsy curtsy. "What brings you to Hanasakigawa?"

"Just my horse, my lady, though the roads to the north attempted to halt me," said Lady Reona. "Did you know that the bridge that gives its name to Chitose has collapsed? It seems Lady Tatara has been remiss in some of her duties, or perhaps it's more hands she needs, for hers is a small House. Indeed, I see there are plenty of children here, so you might consider letting some offer their strength to Chitose Bridge, they could use the help and the youth could learn a trade."

"That's thoughtful of you," said Kasumi, getting up. "As long as Lady Tatara does not overwork them, it may be a good opportunity for them to spread over the country. Hanasakigawa isn't meant to be a prison for Melomaniacs."

"Not all nobles see it this way," Reona sighed. "Our queen wishes to see them integrated into Suilen, and would like to do so slowly and cautiously, but it seems the coming storms hailing from the east may prevent that… War will bring a great deal of tension, so it would be undesirable for there to be any internal instability. So the sooner we can all get along, the better."

"Would that it were so easy," said Rei. She did not bow nor bend the knee before Lady Nyubara, and it appeared she didn't even consider such gestures. "I understand that we can be… Unnerving," she said. Her long gloves curled, and she licked her fangs. "Some of us have been more fortunate than others, but if you take a walk around the village, you'll see men with more eyes than one should have, and not all on their faces. We have no desire of disturbing anyone, so I'm unsure of the wisdom of us spreading over Suilen."

"Don't call yourself _disturbing_," Tae said, stern.

"I understand your fears, but mere compromise is not our queen's desire. We must face the future together, and all the struggles to come. And war… It appears inevitable, now. There is no telling when it will come, but it will. And this is why I am here. Tateshiro must be retaken, so there is not a great hole in our defenses. Lady Asahi reported that brigands attacked it, so our queen's hope is that they were not able to garrison it."

"I pray she's right," said Rokka.

"Surely, however, you aren't here just to tell us this, right?" Rimi asked. "A lone messenger would serve, unless you're in need of supplies and a place to rest, in which case we're glad to welcome."

"We'll accept your offer with gratitude," said Lady Reona, "but you are correct, we have another motive. All able adults of Hanasakigawa must prepare to answer Queen Tamade's call for war. I understand that some of the Melomaniacs may need adjusted armors and weaponry, so I intend to inspect them all so that they are not sent to war unprepared."

"H-Hold on," Tae protested. "We did not bring them here to fight Queen Tamade's wars. This was not our arrangement…"

"When they came, it was not wartime. It will be soon, and we have need of anyone who can fight. And I'm told that Rei is gifted with the Voice, too…"

"I can't sing anymore," she said. "I can fight if necessary, but Tae is right. The people here are not soldiers. They are farmers, artisans, mothers and fathers."

"As are most soldiers," Reona replied. "You may find it cruel, but in war none have the privilege of refusing to pick up arms. Do you think the Rose Queen _asks _her subjects if they want to fight when they're conscripted?"

"I understand that war is not fought by the willing," said Kasumi, "but this feels wrong… It feels like coercion."

"War _is _coercion, yes," Pareo declared. "Goodness knows that if we could have it our way, we would simply tend to our crops and rebuild our cities and let the Rosenreich starve itself to death, but it is out of our hands. If we do not respond to the Rose Queen's aggression by raising a greater host, then we will simply perish. You ought to understand this, because lowborn or noble we all sway to the winds of war."

"I'll fight," a meek voice called from behind them. Out of the dining hall a small woman stepped out, her steps slow, her face concealed by a leather mask with eyes and a smile crudely stitched onto it. "Y-You didn't ask me, but…"

"Rina," Kasumi spoke softly, "this is no small matter, you understand. Beyond the Rift you saw many horrors, but the way the Rose Queen wages war is evil."

"More reason to fight and push her back, then," said Reona. "Minato cannot bear another defeat. Her kingdom cannot sustain itself any longer, so if she fails again, that'll be the end of the Rosenreich."

"You sound almost happy saying that," Saya said.

"A dead enemy is cause to rejoice, yes. There is no saving the Rosenreich. That is the truth. With Coloratus at our side, we could have ripped her out of her throne and put her pretty head on a spike, but the Rosenreich is a place of death. Thousands of our soldiers would die in that forsaken place, and there is no land there worth much. The Rosenreich and the Deadlands might as well be one and the same. The Deadlands might be more pleasant, really."

"You wouldn't say that if you had been there," Rei told her. Pareo didn't seem to care.

"The Bloodblight has killed most of the population already," Reona continued. "Then Princess Shirokane saw fit to make Roterhain the maw of hell, and after that the Rose Queen purged the entire bloodlines of everyone she considered an enemy. The Rosenreich is a place of death, as much as the wastelands to the south. So much misery has befallen it that the veil between life and death sundered. A haunted place, a wound upon the world… Saving it is beyond us. We must fight for life instead."

"I know what they do to people like me in the other kingdoms," Rina said, her meek voice gaining some confidence with each word. "In Coloratus we are killed on sight, and in the Rosenreich we are put in chains and worked to death. Queen Tamade has not demanded anything from us that she would not ask of any other subject. This is what we want, is it not?"

_It was_, Rimi thought. This was what they always desired for Hanasakigawa, for the people they had saved from beyond the Rift. And yet sending them off to war left a bitter taste in Rimi's mouth. These were their lands as much as any human, so should they not fight for it?

"I don't suppose we can argue this," Rimi sighed. "If it must come to war, then we will all fight."

"It _must_," Reona said. "Like it or not, war is an inevitability."

_Is it? _Rimi didn't know. Reona turned back and gave her knights orders to dismount and converse with the townsfolk, to prepare any necessary adjustments, while the rest of her soldiers would set up camp and rest just outside the walls, where there was more space. Rimi looked back, into the dining hall and its long tables of crude timber, but also at the many eyes staring in her direction, trying to catch a glimpse of the visitors outside. Perhaps Rimi was the one who was in the wrong, speaking for them as if they were children… Maybe if they were given the chance to speak for themselves, they would say the same as Rina. Maybe they would choose to fight for their new home, and to die for it.

Uncertain, her heart ached, and her body grew cold. They were one and the same, humans and Melomaniacs: with silent indifference, death's jaws were open to them all alike.

* * *

_They awaited Arisa outside the wooden walls of Hanasakigawa, although, admittedly, _walls _was a generous word to describe the palisades. They would never deter any attackers, but that was not their purpose, nor did Rimi ever expect any danger to come to the village. However, every village in Suilen needed walls, even if only as a token defense. Queen Tamade's decree, which was reasonable enough, because even if these small defenses were unimpressive, they were enough to give pause to raiders and brigands. In this ruined world, the appearance of strength could get you quite far._

_But not a single traveller had been sighted anywhere near Hanasakigawa, be they bandits or otherwise. The road ahead was deserted, and though Tae and Rei had ventured a mile north, they hadn't found anyone. By now it was getting dark, and even in the heart of Suilen, the night made the road dangerous, especially for a noblewoman travelling by herself - and Arisa would come alone, Rimi knew. She abhorred being surrounded by servants and guards, and though she fit in the courts of Suilen perfectly, when she was far from them she would only gripe about those marbled halls she couldn't stand, full of people she disliked._

"_Kasumi, perhaps we should go back to the village," said Rimi. "Arisa won't come tonight, so it's best to wait until tomorrow. She will come then."_

"_She promised today," Kasumi said. "Arisa does not break her promises. I want to head out, to mount a horse and ride north so I can meet Arisa on the road, if she's there… If…"_

"_Don't," Saya said, firm but gentle. "If Arisa is late, it must be because of difficulties with a bridge, or something that has taken her time."_

"_Kasumi, it's really rare for you to think," Tae said, so casually that Rimi could actually believe she meant no offense, "and when you do, you only think of the worst. You're thinking Arisa is late because something bad happened, right? Well, I don't know why she'd be late, but Saya is usually right about things, so I say we trust her."_

"_The stars," Kasumi said, putting a hand to her head. "When my Voice reached them this morning, and the stars sang back at me, the song that only I can hear, I asked… I asked about Arisa. I peered into the coming tomorrows to look for Arisa, but you know that the stars are enigmatic and prize their secrets. So I can't always understand the echoes of my Voice, even though I know they carry truth…"_

"_What did you hear, then?" Rimi asked. She didn't understand Kasumi's gift, who never explained it in detail, though to her it always seemed so clear. Was it echoes that Kasumi heard, or did she see images? Prophecy was a vague art, and few put any faith in it after the Silence, because if foresight had any power, surely it could have averted disaster._

"_I heard… Us," Kasumi said. "My own words, at first, but then they were spoken in your voice, then Saya's, Tae's… And I waited to hear Arisa, I waited for a long time, but her words never came. All I could hear was the breath of the morning breeze upon the chimes outside my door. They rang, oh they rang, and I begged to hear Arisa, but the more I focused to try and recognize her voice, the louder the chimes grew, until my own Voice was silenced and I had to return to bed, for my head ached and burned."_

"_Kasumi…" No one would think of visiting Kasumi's home to see if she fared well, because it was so common for her to linger in bed until the sun shone directly above, and its glare was fiercest. "Are you sure this means anything? You said it yourself, you don't always understand, so maybe you just failed to notice something…"_

"_I'm here," Rei remarked, "and you didn't mention hearing me speak. Arisa will come. The stars are capricious, I learned that beyond the Rift. There the sky was alight with stars that did not shine elsewhere, and there were nights where they never shared their spark, but when the sun rose it was wreathed by countless points of light. We were quick to learn not to trust the stars overmuch."_

"_You may be right," Kasumi sighed. "I thought I had gotten better, you know. That I had finally mastered this Voice of Stars, after all these years. So many of them, such long years, and all the while I thought the stars spoke directly to me, that they were guiding me. But now I am not so certain. Now I don't know what to believe in."_

"_You do know," Rimi reminded her. "You believe in Arisa. You believe she will open her eyes and return to us. This is what we all believe."_

_Her words drew a smile from Kasumi. It was true, she did believe that, though Rimi herself merely _wanted _to believe. When they crossed the Rift and amidst the ruins of the old world they found Rei and her companions, Arisa had spoken against escorting them north, to leave the Deadlands, and she had protested when Tae and Kasumi decided to build Hanasakigawa. Arisa was prickly, but her displeasure then was different than what Rimi had grown used to. She did not scream, and obscenities did not leave her tongue. Instead she grew silent, somber, and while the others headed to Haneoka, Arisa said she was returning to Teienshiro, and hadn't left her castle in months. It was enough of a surprise that she bothered to answer Rimi's letter._

_Her invitation. It was Kasumi's idea, really, but Rimi was the one who could write. Arisa would change her mind once she saw Hanasakigawa, once she saw that life could grow here and that a lasting fellowship could be built, that these Melomaniacs were not deserving of neither scorn or pity, only respect. She would see, Kasumi promised. Arisa was stubborn, but she would always stay by their side._

_And then, just as the same stars Kasumi doubted were high upon the night sky, a darkened figure appeared in the distance, cloaked and alone. Kasumi was the first to run towards it, despite Rimi and Saya urging her to be cautious. Kasumi just shouted that it was Arisa. When the two returned from the darkness, Arisa lowered her hood, and stared at the open gates and the frail walls with judgmental eyes - but, then again, when were they not?_

"_You were waiting?" Arisa asked. She faced Saya, then Tae, and then Rimi, but avoided to even gaze at Rei. Kasumi nodded, excited._

"_I'll always wait for you, Arisa," Kasumi told her. "Always. And I'll come for you if you won't come to me."_

"_Yes, you are as relentless as a pox," Arisa grumbled. "You shouldn't have waited. I was late, that is all. I left my horse at Chitose Bridge, so I walked the rest of the way."_

"_Why wouldn't you just keep riding towards the village?" Rei asked her. Arisa ignored her, but Tae just repeated the question._

"_Her safety," Arisa asked. "Shine is a good horse. She deserves a better end than being butchered for meat."_

"_This again?" Rei complained. "Can you blame the children for being famished? We do not make it a habit to eat horses, if that's your concern."_

"_I am merely saying that you did not make a good impression upon leaving the Deadlands. Your children were hungry, yes, ours was a long march, but that doesn't make it okay to descend upon the first village on your way to steal whatever food you could find, and then to kill that poor horse. It's fortunate that we were still in Coloratus, and Queen Shirasagi doesn't care about some pisswater hamlet. If you had done that in Suilen, our queen would have had you beheaded."_

"_You sound like you would have enjoyed that," said Rei, who also wasn't helping things remain cordial._

"_Arisa, please," Tae tried a softer approach. "We didn't have enough food for the journey. By the time we left the Deadlands, the people we saved were close to death. There was no other way. The only alternative would have been to let them starve. What we did was right."_

"_Yes, of course it was," Arisa said. "Because the village you robbed didn't have its own starving peasants, and so close to winter…"_

"_We didn't take more than what we needed," Rei retorted. "If you wanted to ensure it went your way, perhaps you should have accompanied us instead of declaring you'd have no part in it. If I recall, you ate the crops we brought, no?"_

"_That changes nothing," Arisa said. "It was still wrong. You just tell yourselves that it was right because you know Rei and those other _creatures_, and those peasants in Coloratus don't really matter to you, because you'll never see them again. Stop moralizing."_

"_And you stop acting like your shit doesn't stink," said Rei. "Why did you even come? The first thing you did here was provoke me, but I've never done you any harm."_

"_Your breed has," Arisa said. Rei drew closer to her, and had to be held back by Tae and Saya. Helpless, Rimi only watched, understanding that this would only spiral further into something horrible. "See? Your first instinct is violence. This is unsafe. You should have remained beyond the Rift. It took us years to make Suilen safe again, and now all that is put into danger."_

"_There is no danger," Kasumi told her. "Our music will keep them in good health, and prevent their minds from decaying. Together, if we stay here, we'll make it right."_

_Arisa clenched her fist. Kasumi and the others might have failed to notice, but Rimi certainly didn't: whereas Arisa was merely antagonizing before, she was not truly wroth. There was a fury in her eyes, so intense that it almost concealed their sadness._

"_Tae's friend has the right of it," Arisa said, still refusing to look at Rei. "There was no reason for me to come. I don't care to see your village, your efforts, and I certainly don't care to learn how you've wasted our Melodies to cleanse this worthless land. I will return to Teienshiro. Farewell."_

_She turned her back on them, and ignored their pleas as she disappeared in the darkness. There was no sound for the longest time but Arisa's footsteps and the soft whispers of the wind. Only when minutes had passed and Arisa's steps had grown too distant did another sound emerge. Rimi began to cry softly, and when she caught herself weeping, she tried to wipe her tears away, but Kasumi held her hand._

"_Don't stop yourself from crying," she said, and somehow she managed to smile. "It hurts, I know, so you can cry. The tears you shed are your love for Arisa and your desire that she does the right thing. And she will."_

"_You sound certain of that," Saya said. "But you were also certain that seeing Hanasakigawa bloom would sway her, too…"_

"_True, she did not follow us into the village," Kasumi admitted. "But she came here. And I don't think it was for no reason, as she would not make such a long journey only to leave within moments. No, if she came all the way here, she _wanted _to change her mind. She _wanted _us to be able to sway her. But of course we couldn't… It was foolish of me, and I ask that you forgive me for wasting your time. Arisa's pride… It will always prevent her from admitting she was wrong, especially in front of you. I shouldn't have tried to make this a public affair. Her feelings are… Complicated."_

"_Are they?" Tae asked. "They seemed quite simple to me. Her family…"_

"_Yes, she lost her family to the Silence and its monsters. She watched her own servants in her castle turn into horrors and tear her family apart. It's hard for her not to look at the Melomaniacs and not think that they, too, could turn. But for her to feel so strongly that this is wrong, there is something more than hatred. And I want to learn what it is. But I'll go alone."_

"_Kasumi…" Saya looked into her eyes, and though she was concerned, in the end Kasumi's smile was reflected on her. "Well, I suggest you wait until tomorrow morning to run after Arisa."_

"_I agree," Rimi said. "It'd be like something from a chivalric novel, chasing after Arisa underneath the moonlight, but you know how she is. Give her some time to calm down. Meet her in Teienshiro."_

"_You think rather poorly of me, don't you?" Kasumi asked. Thankfully, she continued to speak before Tae had the opportunity to reply. "I know all this. I know Arisa better than anyone. That's why I'm not afraid. That's why I can smile. Because she'll come around. I have faith in her. She is difficult, spiteful, but not cruel. And she will listen to me. Soon, she'll be here with us, and all will be well once more."_

* * *

The mirrors in Hina's ocularium reflected the night sky, but when Aya looked above she saw only blue and white and a sun shining bright. The silvery surfaces rippled at Hina's command, now drawing closer to the stars, then moving farther away to allow her a better perspective of the starfields. Each mirror held within it a part of the night sky, though they were arranged so messily that they did not make a comprehensive picture, only pieces of the night. Somehow Hina was able to make sense of them, but it had always been like this with Hina. She didn't care if other people understood her intentions as long as she could freely pursue them.

"What are you looking for now?" Aya asked Hina, now looking captivated at a mirror that, to her, looked almost exactly the same as the others. The starfields reflected therein differed, but Aya still found it difficult to tell them apart. Most of the progress that Hina had made with charting starfields happened while Aya was away.

"Something interesting," Hina replied. "Here, you see these stars?" She pointed at a mirror, and Aya pretended she could tell what exactly Hina was trying to show her. "This is the starfield of Aura, and if you compare its shape," she looked for a paper on a nearby desk, throwing the rest of her notes aside, some falling onto the floor. Aya picked them up diligently, which of course completely escaped Hina's awareness. Then, she put a piece of parchment next to the mirror. The stars made an array of circles, a perfect match for dots that Hina had written on the parchment.

"I'm sorry, I think I don't know what I'm supposed to be seeing…"

"Ah, right, well, I haven't really written it down so I guess I can't blame you for your ignorance. This, Aya, is a map. Specifically, a map of the leylines of Coloratus. Incomplete, but not by much. Do you know a leyline is?"

"It's magic," Aya said. She understood little beyond what she had managed to understand of Hina's explanations years ago. "Primordial, like music."

"Eh, hm… You're right, but also wrong. Leylines themselves aren't magical, they are merely the alignment of great structures and landmarks. The tallest peaks, the mightiest rivers and waterfalls, caverns leading deep into the earth. What these places have in common is their strong connection to magic: before the Silence, sorcerers were drawn to those places and there they composed spells of great power, and, when the Silence befell the world, we have found Melodies in those places. It was not merely bad luck that meant that every Melody we reclaimed was buried in some haunted cavern."

"Is that how you find Melodies, then?"

"It's part of my method, yes. But it also involves scrying, and it's hardly perfect, because the Melodies and these leylines don't make for correspondent matches. We have found Melodies far from them, after all. But, yes, you are on the right track. Magic comes from music, music comes from magic, and they are one and the same, like a serpent devouring itself. The Silence could only have been brought by a force as powerful as magic, and thus, though we say that it devoured all music, we know that is not the case. It could not destroy itself."

"That's all very fascinating, but… It might be a bit beyond me, you see."

"I suppose not all minds were made to comprehend the fabric of the cosmos, its cosmogony and metaphysics… Still, this is important. Music is not something we created, it is something that exists in nature, it has always existed. You may think of songbirds, but it goes beyond all that. The leylines… The shapes they form are the same as the magical runes we know too well, the musical notations that are used to preserve compositions."

"When you say it like this, it makes enough sense," Aya admitted. She tried to take a closer look at Hina's notes, but she just placed them back onto her desk, and they disappeared in her mess. "Music is the foundation of the world, and if the starfields above match the leylines here… It can only mean there's a connection."

"Hence why I want to study the stars!" Hina's eyes sparkled when Aya reached the - admittedly quite obvious - realization. "Mountains and waterfalls are all so distant from one another, and they don't tell us much, but the stars know so much more. The girl from Suilen, bearer of the Voice of Stars, she is said to have the power of foresight. I found that quite curious, but now I think I understand. Stars and music are tightly bonded. If the Silence is to be extinguished, the stars may hold the key."

"What key, exactly?" Hina just shrugged.

"Maybe we can channel them. Maybe someday our descendents will be able to reach the stars and save us all. Of course, I don't expect we'll have descendents, but it's a fun thought, isn't it? There are ancient texts that tell of mankind's desire to swim amidst the cosmos. They must have had such beautiful dreams of their future, for they looked upon their gleaming halls and the knowledge they had achieved and believed that their greatest achievements would pale in comparison to what would come centuries later… Lucky them, dying so soon, before getting the opportunity to watch the world perish."

"Aren't you optimistic?" Aya sighed. "I'm sure you gave your plan a great deal of consideration, but I'm telling you, we're not going to save the world by staying holed up inside our towers."

"Again with this talk of saving the world?" Hina waved a hand, and the mirrors moved away from her, sliding across the floor until they rested upon the walls. "A grandiose dream, but perhaps you ought to reconsider what is possible to you. Repairing the world? Certainly. Saving it? Do you even know what that entails, what it means? Aya, the world is too big for you to shape it as you will. Have you seen the maps of the old world, recovered from lost archives? These kingdoms we call home, they are but a small part of a continent. Most has been lost to the Silence, consumed and turned into the Deadlands. So your dreams of heroism are just that: dreams."

"What would you have me do, then? You fought alongside me before, Hina. You shared this dream, and I know you haven't given up."

"Aya, Aya, Aya…" Hina smiled sadly. "You really don't understand the world very well. It's cute and interesting, I'll admit, but so silly. I fought with you because I wanted to see if there was a point to all that. And we found Melodies, we purified some of our lands. We can only go so far. I'm trying things my way, the best I can, but my advice to you is to _live_, and not dream. We can hold back the Silence for a time, and is that not good enough? If you actually tried to enjoy the time you have left and find something to keep yourself occupied, you might just find out that this world, broken as it is, may well be exactly what you've always desired."

"I refuse to believe that. You may not care about the world outside your walls, but I do. I care about it very much, because I'm part of it."

"Well, you are free to die trying to save it," Hina shrugged. "Of course, you could take a moment to breathe and realize that there are things that matter more to you than you think. Love, perhaps? Surely you must love someone, and have friends you treasure. Spend your time with them. Maya has missed you terribly, in case she hasn't told you that yourself. She likely has, as she does not know how to keep feelings inside her."

"You speak as though you didn't miss me," Aya said.

"Longing is the root of suffering," Hina said, turning her back on Aya as she inspected another of the mirrors by her side. "And I don't want to suffer for something beyond my control. I'm happy you're here. Is that not all that matters?"

"I suppose," Aya had grown tired of this. Dealing with Hina was always a difficult matter, for she had to find a way through her twisty words and double meanings, and decipher the thoughts that made perfect sense to her but that, once uttered, were incomprehensible. "Will you do what I asked, though? Please?"

"Hm? You asked something? Ah, right. Yes, fine, I'll try to help you locate a Melody if you care so much about it. There may be some left in ruins to the north. Or there might be nothing there but horrible death. However, I would rather not have your gruesome dismemberment and the desecration of your corpse blamed on me, so… When our queen returns, you may ask her for permission to go on a mad hunt for your shiny treasures. And then I'll be glad to send you on your way, and I'll sleep easy knowing that you died because of your own stubbornness, through no fault of my own."

Considerate as always, the Lady Hikawa. She meant no harm, Aya knew - or at least she had convinced herself this was the case. She had grown to accept years ago that Hina showed her affection differently than most people.

"And when will the queen return?"

"Just now," Hina said. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to tell you. I saw it on one of my mirrors. They're good for more than just studying the sky and its stars. Why, I can see all of Albio. You were sleeping rather soundly last night, even with your windows open."

"I am going to tell myself that you are only jesting. I should go see the queen. If I don't present myself before her, she might be… Surprised."

"Yes, she might," Hina giggled. Suddenly she was beaming, as if imagining the possibilities. "Queen Chisato and I have an understanding, see, that I don't need to waste my time standing on ceremony with her, so really I might as well remain here, but, well… Hanne and I wagered on whether or not Chisato will exile you."

"If you insist on making these wagers, you could at least have the kindness of not informing me."

Hina cared not one bit for the reprimand, and she skipped playfully towards the stairs. Aya made sure to follow, because she could not find a way through all the mirrors by herself, and all the reflections made her head hurt. Yet Hina hadn't the slightest difficulty, and in few instants they were making their way down, towards the throne room where Chisato was sure to wait, alongside her court. It had been so long, Aya could only wonder if the queen's companions were the same as she had known before she left. Much had changed in Albioturris, and yet, at the same time, there was a strange familiarity to every hall, every stone.

The tower was always lightly-guarded, given that a military presence was more useful on the walls of the city, and not inside a castle in the heart of Albio. Now, however, the corridors were emptier still, the guards no doubt standing watch before Chisato's throne. Even as a princess, Chisato had been dutiful, and when her parents could not hold court, she always did so in their stead, never delaying her duties so she could get some rest. This, Aya knew, was something that would never change.

And, just as expected, already the queen was stepping towards her throne, and a long line of petitioners awaited her time. Eve stood by her side, quite travel weary, but ever diligent. Arisa was already by Chisato's side, as well as Maya. As for Misaki, she stood next to a pillar, close to other soldiers, the ones who did not wear the same armor as Albio's guards. Mercenaries, deserters of the armies of Reverie. Aya had a low opinion of men who fought for gold, but the queen found them a necessary evil. Eve, meanwhile, was headed elsewhere, towards the dungeon, and with her back turned on Aya, she did not notice her presence. Even if she did, she would see her duty to the end. A blue-haired woman in chains was at her side, and Misaki's head turned aside ever so slightly as she passed by. Soon enough, Eve had left, and all that remained was to face the queen. With Hina by her side, she approached.

Aya stood in the middle of the throne room, and as Hina ascended the steps to stand by her queen's side, she felt the stare of hundreds of eyes, the same as the first time she had been here. But it all felt different, somehow. Up on her throne, Queen Chisato appeared so distant, unreachable, but she gestured for Aya to come closer, and the guards made way for her. Aya stood before the throne, and knelt. There was no shock on Chisato's eyes; Maya must have informed her already, and Arisa must have explained some of the situation. _So why am I here? _She knew the answer. She wished to see Chisato again.

"Rise, Aya," the queen commanded, and Aya obeyed. "I'm glad to see you still live. It has been some time."

"It has, my queen," Aya said. Her eyes did not move away from Chisato even for a moment, and neither did the queen divert her attention. "Thank you for receiving me, and I apologize for arriving at a… A complicated time, and without warning. But I must speak to you."

"Times are always complicated," Chisato said. Aya struggled to tell if there was any feeling behind the queen's voice that she did not understand, if there was any hint of anger, disappointment or annoyance, but she was uncertain. Chisato had always failed to understand her, but Aya, in turn, did not comprehend her either. "They were complicated when you first stood before me. When was that? The Year of False Peace had come to an end, but it couldn't have been the Year of Blood, for I was rarely in Albio then. Was it the Year of Fire, then?"

"The Year of Blood, my queen," Aya could never forget it. "Its last remaining days. So it's been over five years, close to six."

"And yet it feels like so much less. My parents used to say that the most unpleasant times often feel as if they are interminable, but the days pass quickly even now. You must speak to me, yes. I wish you had spoken to me before you left. And even now I have things I must say to you. What brings you before me, Aya?"

"A warning," she said, and realized then what felt so wrong. She could discern no emotion on Chisato, and that coldness hurt more than anger might have. "The Deadlands continue to encroach the south, and its fiends grow bolder and more desperate. I was sheltered in a small village, and some weeks ago faced an attack by brigands. That would not be out of the ordinary, usually, but I had just returned from Caerulium with a Melody."

"Lost Caerulium, swallowed by the Silence…" Chisato lamented. "It doesn't surprise me that you would delve there, though I wouldn't expect you to survive those dangers on your own. Most impressive. Countess Ichigaya has offered me some details. Catspaws of the Rosenreich, its exiled nobility has turned to banditry, and your concern is that they _knew _of the Melody you had secured."

"Just so. Mitake is dangerous, but she does not have the resources to locate a Melody," Aya said. "You know who does, though."

"Are you accusing me?" Hina laughed. "You mean my sister, yes. My sweet Sayo has no need for scrying, for magical artifice and trinkets as I do. She just _feels _magic. Even more accurately than those with the Voice, I should add."

"Is that admiration in your voice?" Chisato asked. "She may be your sister, but refrain from praising her in my presence. Never forget what she has done."

"After the attack, we took the road to Albio, knowing you had to be warned," said Aya. "Arisa, Misaki and I. The Rosenreich's intentions are mysterious, but its actions may be a prelude to war. And through her lackeys, Queen Minato has reached beyond our borders to claim more magic for her own."

"Is that so?" Chisato asked. "Lady Yamato, what do you think?"

"I agree with Aya," she replied at once. "It is no surprise that Minato would aim to finish what she began two years ago, and that beyond all else she wishes to secure all the magic she can. The three other kingdoms have tried to do the same, of course, to claim all the Melodies they could, but never waged war for their sake. Only the Rosenreich. All war is undesirable, but what the Rosenreich brings leaves far more lasting scars. The borderlands still ache with the wounds inflicted two years ago, and who knows if they'll ever recover?"

"Minato does not have the strength to win a prolonged war," Aya said. "The Rosenreich suffers more than ever before, now, I have seen it with my own eyes. Its queen may hope for a fast attack, but she does not have the resources for that, either. But she will fight, my queen. You know that, we all do."

"If she does not have the strength to win, why fear her?" Chisato asked.

"Precisely because of that," Maya continued to back Aya. "A conquering enemy does not butcher the lands it will lay claim to, but when it becomes clear to Queen Minato that she will have nothing of our realm, then what will she bother preserving? You know her nature well. Even during the Year of False Peace, at the tournament at Seiran, when she was defeated, she tried to prevent her opponent's victory. She may do worse than conquer Coloratus: she may destroy it. She and her princesses have failed to rule and will fail to conquer, but magic's destructive might is a far simpler force. Aya's warning is dire. We should contact our allies in Suilen. They too have been attacked."

"We _have_," Chisato said. "Whilst at Stellarce, I sent word to Queen Tamade. A trusted emissary of hers shall be arriving shortly. So," she turned to Aya once more. Her eyes were frost, and her body was eerily still. "Is that your sole purpose, Aya?"

"I have a request, too," she remembered. "I wish to seek a Melody. With Hina's help, I may locate it, and find it. I won't ask anything more of you, my queen."

"Nor should you," Hina spoke out of turn. "My queen, I would like to inform you that I advised Aya against this, but, as always, she has not listened to me. There's a great chance that she'll die. Slowly. Screaming."

"That chance is always there," said Aya. "It has _always _been there. You know I can face it."

"You can," Chisato agreed. "You will. Hina, when you have the time, help her. And stop neglecting your promise to Misaki, too. I won't allow you to melt down a guest, so don't even ask. Just help her."

"Fine, fine. And Aya…?"

"Her life is her own," said Chisato. "She can chase her dreams as she desires. Alone," she waved a hand, dismissing her. "That will be all, Aya Maruyama. Now, leave. There are others who need my time, too."


	11. The Shattered Past

The image of the blue-haired woman haunted Misaki all throughout the night, and it forbid her from allowing her focus to wander and depart, the closest thing she had to _sleep_. Her face was familiar, she had no doubt about that. When the woman passed by her, Misaki felt her mind stretch, and had to concentrate so that she would not lose herself. She didn't know what would happen if she let that happen. It was as if she had left her body, and for instants she felt like she was looking at her own suit of armor from outside. It was a dreadful sensation, the feeling of being lost at sea, enveloped by the waters. What would happen if she allowed herself to sink? Misaki wished to know, but her fear matched her curiosity. This suit of armor was all she had to call a body now. Without it, would she even be alive?

Sunrise. _I should be tired now,_ she thought, and something hurt her when she began to recall that this was far from the first time she saw the sun rise after a sleepless night. Misaki could remember nothing but the light shining through her window: when it happened was a mystery, as well as where. Sitting on her sturdy bed, she stared outside, but the memory waned and soon was gone. With no further options, she rose to her feet. If she would not remember on her own, she had no choice but to ask the woman directly.

_Lady Kanon Matsubara_, Arisa had told her when Misaki asked if she knew of her. A general of Reverie, now a captive at Albioturris: though Eve had taken her to the dungeons, as the law demanded, soon Queen Shirasagi ordered her soldiers to escort Lady Matsubara to more comfortable accommodations, worthy of a noble - as well as her childhood friend, Arisa said. She was housed in the Gold Tower now, alongside the queen, Arisa herself, as well as Eve and Maya. Misaki and Aya were given quarters in the Blue Tower upon their arrival, and though ordinary, they were pleasant enough. But very far from the Gold Tower, which was opposite to it. Aya had admitted to hoping that, after speaking to the queen, she might be allowed the privilege of residing in the Gold Tower again, but Queen Shirasagi was cold and distant.

Misaki made sure to be the first to stand before the queen's throne, so as to ask her for the right to visit Lady Matsubara. She didn't have great hopes of the wish being granted, but she meant to ask all the same. Fortunately, it seemed that most people who needed the queen's time dealt with their business the past day, and now the great hall stood deserted save for half a dozen guards.

It was Maya who first arrived, ready to take her place next to the queen, her seat to the left of the throne. It was her duty to take note of every petitioner who required the queen's time, so that she could organize Chisato's day.

"I have only a simple request," Misaki told Maya. "The prisoner escorted into the dungeons yesterday, and then to the Gold Tower…"

"Lady Kanon?" Maya put on her lenses and picked her quill and a scroll, a long list of names writ on it. "What about her?"

"I _know _her," she explained. "I think I do, at least. My memories are… They are missing most of their pieces, but I do recall things now and then. And I recall her. I have seen her before, but I don't know when, or why. Perhaps if I talk to her…"

"You think that'll help you remember?" Maya set aside her scroll. Misaki knew that was not a hopeful sign. "She is an important hostage, and the queen won't allow anyone to visit her chambers… Arisa and I have explained your situation to Queen Shirasagi as well as we could, but I'm not going to lie to you… She didn't consider it an important matter, and since you associate with Aya, she doesn't exactly trust you."

"Ah. Is it such folly of me to ask that you try and allow me to meet the queen, just for an instant? I don't even have to go alone, if I'm so untrustworthy. Please, this is important to me. If this can help me remember who I was, it would mean a great deal to me."

"I know it would," Maya said, her voice kind but unwavering. "I am so sorry, but I know the queen will not grant you this favor. But surely recognizing Lady Kanon means something, no? You must have been a subject of Queen Tsurumaki while you were, erm… Made of flesh. If you were a soldier, you would have seen Lady Kanon. I find that most of the time, the simplest answer is correct. You were a soldier, that's all."

"I want confirmation," Misaki said, but as she insisted, she began to feel like a fool. "I… I suppose you might be right. If she doesn't even recognize me, that wouldn't help me. But still…"

"Again, I apologize," Maya said, rising. "I wish you had asked anything else of me. Queen Chisato is sensitive where it comes to Lady Kanon: she reprimanded Thegn Wakamiya quite sternly for thinking the dungeons were a place for Lady Matsubara. Our queen has many matters to deal with currently, and I don't wish to disturb her with… With this."

Misaki nodded. She didn't wish to make things difficult for Maya, and she had insisted enough already. There was no way she would ever get an audience with the queen, and even if she could, Maya had made it quite clear that her troubles meant little to Chisato. She bid Maya farewell and a good day, and decided to seek help elsewhere.

It was Thegn Wakamiya who had brought Lady Kanon to Albioturris, and according to Arisa, Eve had once been a friend of the captive general. Meeting with her would not be nearly as helpful as speaking directly with Kanon, but she could do no more. She did not find her at the dining halls, nor at the armory, but a guard, seemingly taking pity on Misaki's aimless wanderings, pointed the way: Eve was overseeing drills at the docks. Something about the construction of a new fleet, and the training of new sailors.

It was a perilous path to the docks: Albioturris had been raised atop a hill, overlooking the sea, and that path to the docks had been carved on stone, the steps narrow and the fall precipitous. Misaki looked down, and a feeling returned to her: the chill of vertigo, all over her. But it was only there for a moment, and afterwards, Misaki could not feel the sea breeze nor smell the waters and the wet stone, and when her body bumped against the jagged edges of the hill, she felt nothing, merely hearing an unpleasant scraping noise.

To call that pitiful boardwalk _docks _was quite generous indeed, Misaki thought as she reached a half-finished ship hull. The waters here were calm, and the further she made her way across the docks, the shallower the sea grew, to the point that sailors were standing in it casually, the water reaching only their ankles. Others still were on the portions of the ship that had been completed, and it immediately became obvious that the past mutiny had completely robbed Coloratus of anyone who knew anything of ships, because the woman at the helm had to yell the most basic and obvious of instructions to her men. She stood next to Eve, who only watched the recruits. Upon finding the boarding stairs, Misaki began to climb, only for the woman at the helm to run up to the edge of the ship and yell at her.

"Are you mad, or daft?" She asked, Eve stepping silently behind her. "No plate armor on my fucking ship!"

"I can't… I can't exactly remove it," Misaki said, and as the words left her mouth she was struck by how absurd she sounded. It was fortunate, then, that before the woman could yell at her some more, Eve told her that they should climb down the stairs instead and see what it was that she wanted. Aya had only spoken highly of Eve, and already Misaki was glad to confirm that she was quite reasonable.

"You'll forgive Captain Watanabe," she said to Misaki, the same name that Maya had mentioned before. "Not everyone is aware of your condition. She meant no disrespect."

"I'll not suffer anyone under my watch wear heavy plate," she said. "If you are boarded or boarding, a ship is a battlefield that requires speed, and moving around in that is clunky. Besides, if you fall on the water while wearing that, you will die pretty horribly. So I'm a bit touchy."

"It's alright. Captain Watanabe…? I thought he was-"

"My father?" She interrupted. "He was, aye, and the captain of Coloratus' fleet, until he was betrayed. My name is You, and I'm probably the last person in the kingdom who knows how to build a ship and sail it. Hence why I'm here. But you still haven't explained why _you _are here."

"I would like to ask Thegn Wakamiya for a minute of her time," Misaki looked into her eyes, whilst Eve admirably held her gaze firm upon the slits in Misaki's helmet. She had grown used to people staring at her with discomfort, once they realized the helm was empty and that there was only darkness behind it, but Eve was not troubled.

"You have it," she replied. "Please, call me Eve. You have protected Aya, and anyone she chooses as a friend is entitled to all the help I can offer. I pray you'll accompany her when she seeks the Melody she desires. I have duties that demand I remain here, but I don't want Aya to be alone. Wherever there are Melodies there are monsters, and we all can have someone to watch our back in battle."

"Very well, Eve," Misaki said, and You Watanabe excused herself, saying she had to resume her training so that her sailors wouldn't accidentally kill themselves. "You are Lady Matsubara's friend, correct?"

"I would like to call myself that," said Eve. "While our kingdoms were still allies, I had spent some time with her and Queen Chisato, who was still only Princess Chisato. But time and war have distanced us."

"All the same, you know her better than most. And when I saw her escorted through the throne room, I _remembered _her. I have seen her before, and I'm certain that my past is entwined with her. Maya says that the most likely possibility is that I was a soldier serving under Matsubara."

"That's the safest conclusion, yes. Misaki, hm… Aya told me that you're fairly confident that Misaki was indeed your name, but I'm afraid I never heard that name uttered by Kanon. If you knew her and you were close, which is possible but not plausible, then you met her after I lost contact with her. And that was years ago. I'm sorry. I don't know if I can help you. I was her friend, yes, but she was always a discreet woman. Soft-spoken and shy, she was not one to make decisions on her own, and was always accompanied. Does this help you remember anything?" Misaki shook her head. "Then I apologize. I truly wish I could help a friend of Aya's, but I am only a soldier."

"I'm still grateful for the help," Misaki said, and excused herself, leaving Eve to her own affairs.

Misaki felt nowhere near an answer. Frustrated, she wondered if perhaps it might not be best to give up, to accept that there were things she would never learn… But she knew she could not. Her new body might lack a heart, but she felt it ache nonetheless. If she could not know who she was, if she could not learn her own past, then what made her any better than a beast? _I'm human, _she told herself, _as much as anyone else. _She refused to ever believe otherwise.

And so, if Eve could not help her, being only a soldier, that left Misaki no choice but to seek someone who was more than that. She returned to Albioturris and immediately made her way towards the Star Tower wherein she would find Hina. Though she was the last person Misaki would ever like to rely on, it could not be helped.

Whilst the White Tower, the principal of all the spires in Albioturris, was crowded and well-guarded, the Star Tower was just as deserted as the first time Maya had brought her here. Misaki couldn't find even Hanne, though her plentiful notes had been left behind. A quick inspection revealed to Misaki that she had absolutely no idea what Hanne was talking about. The only kind of metal she understood was the steel that was her body now.

She was greeted by the countless mirrors of the ocularium, and saw her own face reflected manifold. _Her _face? A questionable notion. There were no eyes behind the bear's head helmet, and her visage was intimidating, to say the least. Such fearsome armor had no place but on the battlefield. It pained her to think that, to realize she might have no other destiny. She had fought off the brigands at the village, so perhaps there was some good to be found in her strength, but a life of violence just felt wrong. _It's not who I am_, she thought, but couldn't know for sure. If Maya and Eve were right, if she was indeed a soldier under Kanon's command…

There was no looking away from the mirrors, so Misaki took as little time as possible to locate Aya and Hina. They stood before an array of mirrors, but they did not reflect the two women, and instead the stars of the night sky glimmered on the silvery surface. Aya's eyes were closed, and she seemed to listen to something that Misaki could not hear herself. She did not interrupt, and soon enough Aya opened her eyes, suddenly filled with determination.

"Misaki," she greeted her. "How fortunate that you arrived just now. Here," she pointed at a star in one of the mirrors. Hina looked closely. "This star sang to me."

"Ah, so there is music running through this point of the leyline," Hina said, and Misaki recognize that those were words, but they meant nothing to her. "This is the focal point, then… The old city of Argentum, to the north, one of the first to fall to the Silence. Dreadful place. There was no way to exterminate all the creatures that made the ruins of Argentum their dwelling, so Lady Nonomiya had no choice but to hastily wall off the city's entrances and keep archers always stationed outside so as to kill anything that manages to fly away or climb the walls."

"Fantastic," said Aya. "Is there any way to enter?"

"Not without Lady Nonomiya's permission, no," Hina said. "You'll find her holed up inside Argenturris, but keep in mind that she's grown… Well, it doesn't matter. She's just cautious, that's all."

"You mean she's paranoid," said Aya. "It's unusual of you to mince words."

"Well, Lady Nonomiya's behavior isn't interesting enough for me to name it paranoia. She is defensive, that is all. She knows the walls won't last forever, so she has set up guard and is always prepared for a battle. I fear you might find it difficult to convince her to let you into Argentum. Well, I guess she might deliver you inside by catapult."

"I am _not _doing that," Misaki said. "Yes, I know, you hadn't suggested you place me in the catapult, but I saw the sparkle in your eyes and you look quite delighted by the prospect of placing me in the fucking catapult."

"What's the point of being made of metal and possibly indestructible if you're a coward?" Hina sighed. "I assume you're going with Aya. I'm afraid Albioturris isn't overly engaging for those who are not composed of living matter. And yet, you have never visited me before, so I also assume that there is something you need. Shall I experiment on you?"

"No," Misaki spoke firmly. "I need your help."

"Well, you won't help me, so why should I help you?"

"Because Queen Shirasagi ordered you to. She ordered you to find out more about what I am. And there's a way for you to do that. One that doesn't involve disassembling me or melting me down."

"In that case, I'm not interested."

"I need to speak to Lady Kanon Matsubara. The prisoner. When I saw her, I _remembered _her. I need to meet her, so that I can confirm… Confirm something."

"Have you asked Maya?" Misaki nodded. "Then you were denied. Which isn't shocking, because our queen really wouldn't want you near such a valuable hostage, especially when the fact that you _know _Kanon means you must hail from Reverie. And it's Maya's duty to inform Chisato of that, which in turn means she'll reach the same conclusion I have, and will have placed guards outside Kanon's quarters, so that you don't spirit her away in your big strong arms like a shining knight or whatever nonsense she might be imagining."

So much for this last hope. Perhaps it was just stupid of her to expect otherwise. Of course she was stupid: there was nothing inside her head.

"I understand. I'll take my leave."

"Oh?" Hina tilted her head. "Did I say I'm not going to help you? If you agree with owing me a favor sometime in the future, I'll help you commit treason."

"That's more like the Hina I'm used to," Aya said. It wasn't a compliment, but Hina smiled all the same. "Won't that just get us into more trouble?"

"I'm the reason Coloratus still exists as a kingdom and hasn't been completely annihilated by the Rosenreich," Hina shrugged. "If not for me, my sweet sister would have killed Chisato just like she killed her parents, which would have been actually rather impressive because it would have meant she would have eradicated a royal bloodline all by herself, but I much prefer Chisato alive. My point is, I can engage in a bit of light treason and she'll have to forgive me because I'm too important to punish."

"Have you… Have you used those exact words with her?" Aya asked. "On second thought, I don't need to know. I'll be grateful if you help Misaki."

"Oh, I know. I just _love _to help. Now, I'll leave you to prepare for your possibly-doomed expedition. Maya will provide you with all the supplies you need, I know. She always does what people ask of her. Bring me back something nice from Argentum, hm? As for you, Iron Bear-"

"Don't call me that."

"As for you, Bad Bear," Hina continued with no hesitation. "Follow me. I'll take you to Kanon."

Misaki nodded, and wondered if perhaps she should be concerned, but she depended on Hina now, and liked to believe that she would not hinder Aya's friend… She hit her own helmet, lightly, and where her gauntlets touched the metal there was a ringing sound and echo. _Well, there it is, confirmation that I'm an empty-headed fool. Whatever it is that moves this hollow mannequin, it is not a brain, that much is certain. _

When she stepped foot into the Gold Tower, Misaki was immediately overwhelmed by the feeling that this was a place far beyond her, and she felt dirty and wrong even being here. She had cleaned her armor as well as she could, but as she was too fearful to remove any of its pieces, her reach was limited, and wherever she walked, dirt followed. She knew little of Queen Shirasagi save for what she heard from Aya and from the brief time she had witnessed her at her throne, but Misaki had the distinct impression that Chisato was not one to tolerate uncleanliness. But if that was the only thing she had to beg forgiveness for, then perhaps it was for the best.

Hina stopped before a door, and stood in front of the two soldiers guarding it. Until her arrival, they had been chatting and laughing, but quickly turned silent when facing Hina. Misaki couldn't help but think that there was not the slightest possibility that these two scrawny boys would have been able to stop her from entering if she so desired.

"Excuse us for a moment," Hina said. "I wish to meet the prisoner. Go eat something."

They did not protest the order, nor could they ever. There was no refusing a noblewoman's command, not when your birth was so low. They stepped aside and departed the long corridor, leaving only the key behind, so Misaki only had to turn it. Her hand hesitated on the doorknob. Hina turned her back on her, urging Misaki to enter alone. And finally she turned her hand, opened the door, and walked inside, slowly and quietly closing the door behind her.

It was a luxurious bedroom, yet the sight of Kanon sat on pristine, white sheets was not unfamiliar. _I have seen her before, and somewhere just as ornate as Albioturris. _She could not be just a soldier to have seen that. The two women stared at one another, Kanon with fearful curiosity. _My voice, _Misaki thought. _My voice is the same. If she knows me, that is all she'll have to recognize me._

"Lady Kanon," she said, uncertain of how she should refer to her. She approached, and Kanon slowly rose to her feet, her eyes wide open, mouth agape. "I wish to speak to-"

"Misaki? Misaki, is that you?" She asked, and ran towards her, and looked up at her, and while her lips smiled, the rest of her face was full of disbelief. "Your voice…"

"It's me," she said. "I remembered you. Though I'd forgotten almost everything else, when I saw you, I knew I had seen you before. You-"

"I thought you were dead," she said, and covered her mouth. "We all… We all thought you were dead."

"W-We?" The pain returned, the one that always followed when she tried to reach her past, but now it was more intense, like daggers plunged into her skull, then twisted. "Who's we?"

"Do you… Not remember? Hagumi, Kaoru… And our queen, Kokoro… Have you forgotten Kokoro?"

"I… I have… No, I…"

She would have screamed if she could, but she had no voice; metal fingers clutched at her helmet and scraped against the steel, and Misaki clawed at her own eyes, opened the helm's mouth to reveal the emptiness inside. The pain did not relent. _Kokoro. _If she knew Kokoro, if she knew the queen of Reverie, then who was she? Her body began to shake, and all at once she felt like she was very far away, not truly present in Albioturris. Kanon said something she could not hear. _Dirt, _Misaki realized. _I taste dirt. _She could not breathe, and whereas before she clawed at her own head, now her hands grasped at thin air. She felt trapped in it, trapped in the armor, trapped somewhere she didn't know. And her body trembled, the joints began to clang, and her right hand fell to the floor with a noise that startled Kanon, but all that Misaki heard was the sound of flesh collapsing, not metal. She lifted her right arm, and the pieces began to come undone, falling one by one.

And then the rest crumbled all at once.

* * *

_She looked into the mirror next to the queen clad in gold; sapphire by her side, topaz and amethyst behind. Names. They had names. What were they? Distant, too distant, though they were mere inches by her side, these jeweled ladies. What were they staring at?_

_They were staring at her. And so was Misaki, but what she was in the mirror was someone else. Just a woman. Her hair was not too black, not too long, and her face was not too remarkable. She was taller than topaz, shorter than amethyst, but neither too tall or too short. She did not smile, and she was not bejeweled as the others. An easy face to forget._

My face_. _I forgot my own face.

_She touched her cheek and felt metal, though the skin turned red when the golden queen held her hand. Her reflection opened her mouth, but Misaki heard no sound. Still, the golden queen laughed._

"_Yes, of course," she replied to the reflection. "You don't have to worry," she paused. The reflection mouthed something again. "I know it's your job to worry, Michelle. But if you keep this up then you'll be always tired, just like your sweet twin sister."_

"_My queen, she-" The woman veiled in sapphire tried to speak, but amethyst's gleam swallowed her in light._

"_Aye, indeed, it is thusly so," she said, waving a hand theatrically, "sayeth I. Whatever it is that you refer to. We need only perform our parts as players in this grand stage and all will be well. Is that not so, my fair and strong Hagumi?"_

"_Hm? I, uh, well… I think so. I trust you, Kokoro. And you as well, erm, Michelle. I will set forth at once."_

"_A-As will I, of course," sapphire concluded. _Kanon, _Misaki realized. _Her name is Kanon. _And when she looked again, there were no sapphires upon her head anymore, only her braided blue hair. All the gems disappeared and she looked once again upon her companions._

Kaoru. Hagumi. Kanon.

Kokoro…

"_Leave us," the queen said. Their reflections vanished from the mirror, and when she turned her head, Misaki saw their true selves gone as well. Gone where? Misaki could not identify this place._

_An empty chamber with a mirror in its center. All the walls were glass, but there was nothing outside. The world was just Misaki and Kokoro. She approached the glass, but her reflection did not follow, and when she tried to steal a look outside, she was pulled back to the mirror. It was only then that she realized that she did not feel her hands, her legs, her body. She looked down and saw that she had no body. She was only a witness, and her true body existed only within the silver of the looking glass._

_Her reflection's lips moved. Kokoro smiled in response._

"_I know they know," she said. "I mean, it is a bit obvious, isn't it? Misaki and Michelle are the same. But I pretend not to know when anyone else is with us," _

_Another pause._

"_Because it's safer. Because it maintains the masquerade, both mine and yours. It's best that the world sees me as mad than as anything else."_

_She stopped again. Her smile died down, and she pulled Misaki's reflection close to her, but her body was only holding air._

"_It doesn't offend me, no. All offense and pain comes from within, not without. If I don't want to be hurt, I don't have to be. There's advantages to being thought of as weak." _

_She waited for Misaki's words. _

"_That's also right. You always have something to say, don't you? I'm happy to have you to contradict me."_

_Misaki's reflection guffawed._

"_I'm being serious. You consider aspects I would not. Like this matter with the twins… You're smarter than I am. Isn't that funny? I rule over all of Reverie because of my birth, but my good intentions don't always translate into good decisions. I don't get it. Chiyu, Yukina, Chisato, the three of them have always been so certain of themselves. And I…"_

_A pause. Longer, this time. Long enough for Misaki to notice oddities in her reflection. The mirror did not invert Kokoro, and the reflection was always just a second behind._

"_Yes. Yes, it's not that I lack certainty. You're absolutely right… Still, my point is that a queen should be always right, but you are wiser than I am. I'm happy to have you, but it feels… Wrong, somehow. That I depend on you so much. Should I be stronger? Should I be more considerate? As of late these questions haunt me. I should resolve them on my own, as queen, but… I need you."_

_The reflection said only four brief words in response. Misaki understood them well enough, reading her own lips._

"_I need you too," she said. Kokoro began to cry._

"_I wish you didn't have to go," she said. "I wish I could trust someone else. I wish there was someone else I could rely on as much as you, so that I could keep you with me and deliver them to all the dangers you face, instead. I am so selfish, my love. So very selfish, because I wish to have both you and the Sun Crown, because I wish to be both queen and lover."_

_More words, these ones beyond comprehension._

"_I should have expected you to say that. You just won't let my worries remain troubling me. Yes, you may be right, and for once I am actually overthinking. Can you blame me? It wounds me to bid you goodbye, to know you will go so far away, for so long… I wish I could go with you. Yes, I know, that's folly. And you always come back."_

_Her reflection closed her eyes and kissed her queen's forehead. Kokoro's arms wrapped around her, and she did not let go._

"_Lay with me tonight," she asked. "My bed has grown cold in your absence, even when I blanket myself. It's not furs that I need, nor fire. It's you. Only you. It's always been you," the reflection whispered something. "Yes. Yes… I will."_

_A crack appeared on the mirror, between Misaki and Kokoro. The glass walls shattered all at once, and when she looked up, she saw shards raining down, but when they fell upon Kokoro, she did not bleed, and instead cracked like everything else. But her image lingered on the mirror, enveloped in Misaki's embrace, until at last the mirror broke as well, and gusts blew shards of glass everywhere until they turned to sand, to dirt, and the ground opened to swallow Misaki in darkness._

* * *

Chisato did not know how to politely bring attention to it, but while she had started to sip her second cup of wine, Arisa was on her seventh, and her aimless eyes could not focus on any single thing for longer than a second. To her credit, she was surprisingly coherent - and only a bit too honest.

Her other guest made up for it by not partaking at all, saying she did not wish to dull her senses. Masuki had arrived just past noon, bearing messages from her queen, and Chisato was certain to greet her and grant her all the honors she could, including a bedroom in the Gold Tower, but Masuki said that she had arranged bed and board in Albio, at an inn close to the walls, next to some stables.

"Cherrywind is terrified of moats," she explained upon arrival. "Won't cross a drawbridge no matter what. I'd rather stay with her, if you'll allow it."

Chisato had no objections. When she first set foot into Albioturris, Masuki bore the dirt of the long road, but after having the chance to bathe and get dressed properly, she now looked like a lady, though of course she was of common birth. Still, Queen Tamade's emissary was to be treated immaculately, and that included an invitation to Chisato's private chambers alongside Countess Ichigaya, that they might enjoy some wine and conversation.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. And yet now she found herself next to a drunkard and a woman who seemed uncomfortable being in a place of such fine luxuries, and mostly kept to herself. Arisa, however, had plenty to say, and the more drunk she became, the more words poured out of her mind. Better than vomit, at least.

"Aya and Misaki are both fine women," she said, "if you can call Misaki a woman, considering her, erm, situation. I'll vouch for them, if you still mistrust them. But you know Aya well enough that you should know you can rely on her."

"Can I?" Chisato asked. "She departed without warning after antagonizing me for weeks, rejecting all my plans and disrespecting me again and again. Our years spent together made her too familiar, and she felt entitled to disobey me. I cannot have that. If she had at least attempted to discuss our differences instead of resenting me for them before she left, maybe we could have come to an agreement."

"You ran, too," Masuki turned to Arisa. "Queen Tamade was quite displeased. You left your ancestral home without anyone to tend to it, and that gave our queen quite a headache, finding someone to hold Teienshiro. She could not usurp it, not without revoking your title, and the political situation is delicate enough that she'd rather not send her vassals the message that their titles can be removed at any time."

"So I'm still Countess Ichigaya," said Arisa.

"Until your trial and execution, yes," Masuki said. Arisa didn't seem at all bothered. "Worry not, however, I've not come to bring you to Haneoka for judgment. It is not my concern. I must admit I understand why you left."

"No one understands," Arisa said, evidently having just reached the self-pitying stage of inebriation. "I don't really care if I'm being understood or misunderstood or whatever nonsense someone might think of me."

"Is that why you've kept your secret from Aya?" Chisato asked. That at least drew a reaction from Arisa: she finished her entire glass of wine in seconds. "She might not recognize you, but I do. You are no mere alchemist or wandering noblewoman, but an adventurer-"

"Oh, don't use that word," Arisa spat. "You know damn well what one must face to seek Melodies. It's not a fucking adventure. It's horror, nothing more than that. To delve into the ruins of a dead world and to confront horrors that were once the same as you and I… Only a fool would see it as an adventure… Are you a fool?"

Chisato pretended she did not hear the insult. There was something haunting in Arisa's eyes, now, though most of the time she attempted to conceal it with her usual anger and arrogance.

"A slip of the tongue," said Chisato. "All the same, you sought Melodies alongside your companions, and you can perform magic. Why not tell Aya that? She could use your gifts."

"Because…" She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was oddly calm. "Because I won't be disappointed again. Kasumi had these dreams of saving the world, too, and she abandoned them for her little colony of beasts. Aya may dream, she may believe she is the one who can guide the world away from the Silence, that she was chosen to save us all. She says she does not feel that way, but everything about her tells me otherwise. So I'm afraid. I'm afraid she'll falter, that she'll show herself to be weak, like Kasumi. I want to guide her, but… But I know what it's like to have someone you idolize disappoint you. To choose to follow someone to the end, only for her to decide she's not going until the end."

"And you fear Aya will give up? Even though she has continued to seek Melodies even after leaving Albio?"

"I don't fear she'll give up, no," Arisa said. "I fear she will take a misstep. She thinks the world is simple, she believes salvation is just a matter of collecting Melodies, of singing, of teaching the world music and magic again. I don't know if I can trust her."

"Yet you vouched for her," Chisato reminded her. Masuki continued to just observe, to just listen, never taking her cup of wine to her mouth. "You told me to trust her. Why is it just you who can remain closed off to everyone else? Your words and your actions are mismatched. You say that Aya's mission is important, that she's doing what your Kasumi failed to, but you still can't bring yourself to be honest with her. To offer her all your help, to overcome your fear of disappointment. Everyone will disappoint you, Arisa. People won't always be the way you want them to be, they are not your dolls. And you know it."

"Of course I know," she groaned. "I know I should… I should take a chance. But I can't. I want to do the right thing, but I'm afraid," the horror returned to her eyes, like she was somewhere else, witnessing something that was not here. "Kasumi was strong. She was never afraid. I mocked her, I told her she was too simple for fear, but I loved her for it. Aya isn't afraid either. She has her doubts, but she overcomes them. She kept going all alone, all this time, achieving very little but never relenting. All my friends were strong, too. I was always the weak one. The one who was afraid, the one with nightmares. The one who looked into the darkness and froze, unable to keep going. Rimi may have cried now and then, but she was always facing whatever stood in her way. I never cried, but I fled. In the darkness, before the horrors beyond count, I was always relying on everyone else. I even pissed myself more than once," she said in what was more honesty than Chisato would have liked. "I'm afraid. I don't want to be hurt again, I don't want to put my life into someone's hands again, but my own hands shake. I can't even sleep without drinking, you know."

"Yeah, life's a shit," Masuki said. Her bandaged hands were placed uncomfortably upon her lap, as she clearly was unused to frills and dresses. "Yours doesn't have to be, though. You could have stayed inside Teienshiro and lived comfortably. If you're not going to help this Aya woman, you _should _have stayed there. So you still believe in something."

"I guess I do," Arisa smiled, but Masuki just frowned.

"Wasn't a compliment. If you at least had the excuse of believing in nothing and having no hopes for this world I wouldn't care one it, but you're worse than that. You're a coward. The only two things that keep you going are drinking and the belief that your good intentions mean something. If they remain intentions, they don't matter."

"Listen here," Arisa rose to her feet, and stumbled, nearly falling. "You… You have no right to speak like this to me. Not when you don't know, not when you don't understand-"

"We all know. We all understand. We all suffer and most of us don't make it very long. I lost my family to monsters, just like you," she said, staring into Arisa's eyes. "And I suppose Queen Shirasagi, too. But I don't sit around feeling sorry for myself. I don't have that kind of time. I have things to do. Don't you?"

Arisa said nothing. Her brief anger gave way to emptiness, a vacant stare directed at her own feet, so that she could avoid Chisato and Masuki. This had truly been one of Chisato's worst notions. She finished her wine, but Arisa didn't drink any more. For the longest time, she said nothing, and did not move. The silence allowed Chisato and Masuki to discuss important matters of the alliance between Suilen and Coloratus, and to share news of the Rosenreich's movements. Masuki spoke in short sentences, and never wasted a word, so Chisato decided to do the same. Ever since she was crowned queen, Chisato had not known battle, for the most powerful weapons of royalty were words, but there was something she appreciated about this curtness. For one whose reputation led her to be called the Mad Dog of Suilen, Masuki was personable enough, in her own rough way.

Even when the door opened, Arisa did not react. A guard called Chisato's attention, apologizing for the intrusion. _We have a problem, _he said, and already Chisato began to imagine the possibilities, most of them involving Aya.

"The prisoner from Reverie," the guard told her. "The armored woman entered her chambers and she, well… She fell to pieces. Like… Like she's haunted. Lady Hikawa opened the door for her. She has picked up the pieces."

_Ah. _If it wasn't Aya, it had to be Hina. She would have turned back and asked Arisa if she still found Misaki trustworthy, but she made too pathetic a sight to mock right now. Still, this was a grave matter. If something had happened to Kanon, Chisato would have been warned, but for Misaki to enter her quarters was already disrespectful enough, and that alone deserved some manner of punishment.

After biding Masuki to wait for her return, she followed the soldier to Kanon's chambers; Misaki's armor was too heavy to transport elsewhere, so instead they attempted to reconstruct her right there. If not for her desire to find out more about what had transpired, Chisato would have commanded the pieces to be just discarded, for a queen should not suffer disobedience. It was not a long walk: she had made sure that Kanon would be given accomodations close to her, in case she wished to visit her old friend. If only the circumstances were not so unfortunate…

Pieces of Misaki armor were scattered along the floor, and Aya joined Kanon in trying to assemble them once more, while Hina just watched, curious. It was difficult to accept that it was a person she looked at, and not just assorted equipment pilfered from the armory. Could she even be but back together…?

"I know her," Kanon told the queen. "I… I knew Misaki. She was a friend of mine at Reverie."

_Reverie. _It was as Chisato had feared. When Maya warned her that Misaki recognized Kanon in the throne room, Chisato had presumed that, whoever the woman had been in the past, she hailed from Reverie. But Kanon's friend…? That she had certainly not expected.

"There," Aya said, closing the helm's visor. "Now she's just as when we found her. She… She has to come back to normal, no? She has to."

But she didn't. The pieces just lingered there, lifeless, and all along the metal there were scratches and holes, and dirt as well. An unsightly thing, which might have been ornate once, but time and long travels had been unkind to it. But perhaps it was for the best. This sort of life was painful, saddening, and an abomination. To be unable to feel, to taste, to know the way the wind feels when it blows your hair… It had to be torture.

Yet Aya, of course, did not give up. She began to sing instead, and her Voice of Peace filled the room. A gust seemed to follow it, coming in through the window, invited by the sweet melody, but when Chisato closed her eyes and felt the warmth of her past immerse her, she realized that this was a song that Aya had never sung to her before. Had she learned it while she was gone? Something about that thought pained her. She had always been the first to hear Aya sing when she unveiled a lost song, or even created one of her own. In time she came to join her, but not this time. She was a stranger to this song.

Misaki stirred. She had no eyes to open, but her gauntlets shifted to the side as proof of life, and she tried to get up. Kanon and Aya ran to help her rise, struggling to find the strength for that. With effort, however, they succeeded. Misaki towered over Chisato, enough to intimidate her ever so slightly, but still she looked up, wordlessly demanding an explanation.

"The queen," Misaki said at last. When she noticed Chisato's confusion, she continued. "Queen Tsurumaki. I knew her. I knew her. I was her-"

"Her spymaster," Kanon said. "Chisato, please. Do not punish her. She did not know before she came here."

"She is an enemy," Chisato declared. "Not knowing who she was until now does not change that fact. And yet…" She thought of Arisa, and then looked deep into herself. Did she herself still believe in Aya, in her ideals? She did, once, years ago. But she was a princess then. A queen could not have ideals, only interests. "There is no sense in punishing you. Though your crime was invading this chamber, I don't expect that whipping you would even hurt you. As for your past, if you truly did not know, then I will not hold that against you. Now that you know who you are, however, I expect your allegiance will return to your queen."

"I must help Aya, first," Misaki said. It was not the response Chisato expected. "You granted her permission to set out and seek a Melody. Please, allow me to guard her in her journey. I will not return if you will not have me."

"Misaki, that's-"

"I know who I am," Misaki said, "but not entirely. My past is still lost behind thick mists. I do want to find it once more. But I also want to stay by Aya's side, and help her in her fight."

"Is that so?" Chisato asked. There was no treachery here, she understood. This woman was the Mad Queen's confidant once, but now she was broken, lost, confused. Chisato sighed.

Maybe the best thing she could do was get these pests out of the way. The sooner she could be freed of Aya, the better. For her to return here as though nothing was wrong, as though she had not broken Chisato's heart when she left… Aya might want to believe that things could go back to the way they used to be, but they never could.

And Chisato feared she would allow herself to grow close to Aya once again, despite knowing it was a mistake. She knew, then, what she should do.

"Who am I to say no when an agent of an enemy kingdom asks for permission to die? Go, then. You are not my concern. Neither of you."

She walked past Aya without looking her in the face. But when she left Kanon's quarters and had taken half a dozen steps into the long corridor, she looked back. But only for a second before she went on her way.


	12. Time and Silence

"You'll need better than that dull sword you're carrying," Maya said, dragging Aya by the arm towards a huge weapons rack in Albioturris' armory. "You really went into the Deadlands with this thing? I see your bravery hasn't diminished at all in the past year.

"Some might say it's my stupidity," Aya replied. Maya would have never thought that, of course, and Aya knew it. "What do you propose, then?"

Eve pointed at a huge halberd, its blade massive and ornate, the steel engraved with musical runes. Aya felt she was strong enough to wield it, but polearms were unwieldy in the tight spaces she was sure to find in Argentum. They made for good weapons of war, but when facing the creatures deformed by the Silence, staying on the move was paramount, so a smaller weapon seemed better suited to face them.

"I think not," Aya said. "I think a sword is best. An estoc, should I face monsters with hard scales."

"Hm," Eve opened a chest full of blades, all alike. All arming swords, given to the soldiers of Coloratus as their standard equipment. "That's not our army's weaponry, so we don't have many estocs lying around, but… Ah, of course," she closed the chest, and walked up to a large wooden cabinet, beautiful swords kept behind a strong lock, visible through glass. "These are, um… They belonged to Queen Chisato's parents. Great treasures, but Her Majesty despises the sight of them, and has kept them stored away."

"Are you certain this is alright?" Aya was uncertain. Chisato already had plenty of reason to dislike her, so wielding her family's weapons without her permission…

"Our queen won't care," said Maya. "She resents them, as they were returned to her by Princess Sayo Hikawa. A gesture of good faith, she called it, but how could Queen Chisato see it as anything but mockery? It was as if Hikawa said she had claimed them from their corpses. Which, of course, she did. Hina swears she didn't mean any offense, but, well…"

"I see," said Aya. Eve unlocked the cabinet, and Aya took a good look at the weapons stored within. Their hilts were gilded and bejeweled, and the blades were of the finest steel Aya had seen, so much that she wondered if it was really only steel and not truesilver or liedwurzel. A better trained eye might be able to tell the difference. "That one…"

"Ah, it caught your eye as well?" Maya smiled. "It belonged to our queen's mother. _Sieg, _it was named, though for whom exactly it was forged is knowledge lost to the Silence. The blade is liedwurzel, so you'll notice it's extremely light, and cuts through the air so fluidly it's like water. An elongated hilt allows for the wide guard that will give your foes no opportunity to disarm you. And, most importantly, liedwurzel drinks all that is arcane. Poisons crafted through high alchemical arts, oils imbued with earthen essences, even magical runes, the blade will absorb them all and strengthen itself. Hina surely has some supplies that may help you-"

"As long as the blade can cut through my enemies and pierce their scales," Aya remarked, "I am content."

"Then the sword fits you," said Eve. "Liedwurzel is not to my liking, I prefer truesilver, but it will serve you well, I am certain. It is an ancient metal, you know. The roots of the earth are made of it, Hina once remarked. All the liedwurzel in the world predates the Silence, for the mines that dug deep into the earth to find it have been lost."

"That might be for the best, considering what we know about them," said Aya.

It was a tale that Hina had shared with her, once. Deep into the earth one would find the pillars of creation, the foundations of the world and seeds of the leylines. All the mines were now lost in the middle of the Deadlands, and they too were places of death, even before the Silence. Deeper and deeper the tunnels burrowed into the earth, and when sunlight no longer reached them they went further down. There the air was said to turn red and fiery, and though there were plenty of lanterns on the descent, by the last years before the Silence no one bothered to light them, because the dead needn't see where they were going. There was only one way to go, anyways. Prisoners and slaves and desperate men gave their lives to touch the bones of the earth, for a brief moment, and when a thousand lives were fed to the darkness, enough ore was brought to the surface to forge a single blade, and the smiths at the grand courts saw only the gleaming rocks and not the doomed swallowed by the maw of hell.

_Blood tempered this blade, _Aya thought, taking Sieg from Maya's hands and feeling its weight. _Let it redeem itself by bringing an end to the Silence. _She swore that, because the thought of all those souls drowning in darkness pained her so much that she would rather throw this away and wield an honest weapon.

"What of Misaki?" Eve asked. "She is a large woman, and strong. She may actually be able to wield a warhammer. And we have all manner of exotic weaponry, some from lands long lost, be it to the Silence or to other tragedies. Bihänder from the Rosenreich, nodachi from Suilen, our own swordstaffs, and those curious hooked scythes from… Somewhere no one remembers."

"Eve," Aya spoke gently, and held back laughter. "Sometimes you are very easy to understand. You're just curious to see what a fighter like Misaki can do, right?"

"Was it that obvious?" She sounded almost disappointed. "Well, yes, some of these weapons are purely ceremonial because most people would not be able to wield them, but the craftsmanship poured into them! The artisans of Suilen create true masterpieces, and put our own smiths to shame. Of course, our weapons are effective enough and spears are functional enough, I'll admit, but the beauty of a katana? War should be an art, not butchery. Ah, the honor of Suilen knights…"

Aya had expected that by now Eve would have learned that there is no honor in war, and that the knights of Suilen served the same purpose as any soldier: killing. In her homeland war might have been a game that nobility played at of their own hunger for glory, but here war was ugly, and Aya had seen plenty of villages burned down by valiant knights.

She sheathed Sieg. It felt _wrong _to hold such a weapon, one so important that it had its own name. But that was a feeling Aya knew all too well, the wrongness of Albioturris. She was of common blood, her family name worth as much as dirt, and while her companions seemed all too used to dining in the fine halls of nobility, Aya did not belong in these gilded palaces. And everyone else knew it, she was sure of it. She felt their eyes staring at her, judging her, and knew it was only a matter of time before someone said what all others believed: _this is not your place. Though your superiors have granted you a place at their table you will only ever be a guest._

"I miss it," said Maya, suddenly. She was looking up at a bow upon the wall. Her bow. "When we were all together."

"We all miss it," said Eve. "Even Chisato and Hina. You may doubt it, but they do. We would go back if we could, but we can't. Chisato is queen now, and Hina is too preoccupied with her own studies. And I have armies to lead, preparations to make for the coming wars. So I cannot leave."

"I can, though," Maya said. Eve stared at her as if she had just said something truly mad, but Aya couldn't help but smile. "Aya, I'll-"

"I don't believe the queen will allow it," Eve remarked. "You're needed in Albioturris. Without you, it would fall into disrepair. It needs your stewardship."

"You overvalue my skills," said Maya, "and underestimate the worth of our queen's other subjects. I'll leave instructions behind, don't you worry. Besides, it's not like I'll be gone for a long time. Unless I die, in which case it's no longer my problem in the first place, huhehe."

"I'm getting the impression you've spent plenty of time with Hina while I was gone," Aya said, and the red burning on Maya's cheeks proved her right. "I like this willful Maya standing in front of me. Erm, even more than I usually like you, I mean."

"Still, that doesn't really answer my question. Would Chisato allow it? She has let Aya and Misaki go, but you're not someone she'd like to part ways with."

"Well, one of the things I learned from Hina is that it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. Queen Chisato won't have much cause for complaint when we return with a Melody, and with the good news that Argentum has been saved."

"Still, she is our queen…"

"She is," Maya nodded. "And thus we owe her good, loyal service. But she has placed her trust in us not because we blindly follow her but because she knows our intentions are to always seek the best for Coloratus and the world. And this is the best. I would not leave Aya and Misaki alone, and I heard from Hina that you'll have to deal with Lady Nonomiya. I think I can help ease that for you, and I'm still a competent archer, if you'll have me."

"Of course I will," Aya replied. "With you by my side, I feel safe, always. Remember that time your arrow struck a goreshrike that was coming at me from behind, appearing from a thick fog? No one else would have noticed its approach, but you did."

"Near Durovernon, no? Goodness, that was a real nightmare. All those corpses we found shrouded in fog, half-eaten, impaled on thorn bushes…"

"Dreadful," Eve shivered. "Oh, I was so certain that we'd reach Durovernon and find not a single surviving soul in the old village, but we found so many of them in hiding… I'll admit I miss that, yes. To be able to save people, instead of leading them to battle… It was easier that way."

_Easier… _That was Chisato's word, Aya recalled. Politics was hard, she said once she was crowned queen. To climb on a horse and ride all over the countryside helping people in need, carrying nothing but food and weapons, making do with what little coin and supplies they managed to acquire during those long months away from Albio, away from anyone to whom Chisato's authority meant anything… That, the queen said, had been easy. There were no compromises to be made, no unfortunate choices that could never satisfy everyone, no sacrifices to be demanded of others. There was always disdain on the tip of her tongue as she said that, but if Maya was right, if Chisato really _did _miss their time together and all they achieved, then was the disdain not in truth a lament? When she thought of it like that, Aya felt that perhaps she judged Chisato too harshly, and that she had suffered even more than she let on…

But if she was suffering, why did she carry that burden alone, why did she never share it with Aya? She should have. She would have helped…

Maya picked up her bow, and regarded it with the curiosity of someone who meets an old friend and tries to get the measure of them and how much they have changed. And, in doing so, had no choice but to look inward and see how they themselves have been changed by the years as well. _I was never this thoughtful, _Aya realized. This was something she learned when she began to wonder alone, and had only her thoughts for company. Once, she had been quick to jump to conclusions and to expect the worst of people, always imagining some judgment was directed her way. But her lone wanderings taught her patience and restraint. She wondered if it was for the best, or if something that had been a fundamental part of her had been lost.

Eve swore to keep their secret, though in due time Maya's absence would be obvious. She had always been bad at recognizing her own importance to others, always thinking she disappeared easily, but Aya knew that to be absurd. Still, as Albioturris and the city surrounding it were busier than usual thanks to all the visiting nobles who had been summoned by the queen to discuss the coming war, it would be easy to disappear amidst the crowds. Except for Misaki, of course. She was hard to miss.

Before the throne, Lady Daiba begged the queen for the command of a division, and though her request was granted, Chisato also reprimanded her for losing her lands, remarking that many of the peasants that had taken up arms in rebellion hailed from the lands around Flavusvallum. Some refugees found their way into the service of other ladies, others found new lives in the cities of Coloratus, but hundreds had, instead, chosen to join the huge camps of peasantry that threatened the northern regions of the realm. The queen's voice carried such power, such authority… But that was not the voice Aya had grown to learn and love over the years, the soft voice of the princess she knew so well.

She wished to say goodbye. To Chisato, to Hanne, to Arisa and to Hina. A childish desire, perhaps, but one that ate at her. Maya and Misaki were headed outside, ready to depart, but Aya lingered by the shadow of a great marble pillar, looking at the throne. As Lady Daiba finished her request, she made way for Lady Tojo, and there were not so many petitioners behind her…

Reason, however, prevailed. It was only vanity that pulled her eyes towards the queen, the desire to hear her voice again, in sweet tones this time. _I wish you good fortune_, she might say, or _please, Aya, be careful. _But those words would only be spoken if Chisato still wished to care about her. Unwilling to experience the queen's coldness once again, Aya chose silence instead.

* * *

_Aya scribbled the word _Vindomora _on a piece of parchment, though the folk of the village could not come to an agreement over the place's name. There were no signs to confirm the truth, for none here could read them, so what was the point? In the end, Aya chose Vindomora, for that was the most pleasant-sounding name the villagers argued over. It was a name that could make for a song, she realized, mouthing it over and over as she came up with a tune._

"_In the vil-lage Vin-do-mo-ra…" She quite liked the sound of it, though she could not figure where the song should go from there._

"_Pay attention, Aya," the Lady Kurosawa called her attention, riding by her side. She looked down on the folk gathered by the village's well, and counted them silently. "Is that everyone?"_

"_Aye, all but me mother," a young woman said. "Bound to bed on account of her illness. I'll answer for her."_

"_Very well, then. You, come," she pointed at a strong man, unusually tall. He had the likeness of a soldier. "State your age, good man."_

"_Do ye not need my name?" He asked. "I reckon this is a census, you'll need my name."_

"_We're not writing an encyclopedia on each and every inhabitant of Coloratus," Dia Kurosawa grew annoyed, impatient. "I'm sure you have a fine name but what I need is your age and labor, that I may know if I can count you as a sword hand should I need to levy troops. Evidently, you are strong enough for that."_

"_You've got that right," he said. "I'm a logger by trade, my father a carpenter. I am fifteen years old."_

Fifteen. _Aya nearly forgot to write it down, so shocked she was. He was younger than her, only a child. There was no such thing as the right age to die at war, but even so fifteen was far too young for that._

"_Have you considered meeting with my marshal and joining my men?" Lady Kurosawa asked. "You are quite strong, and young too, with plenty of growing left to do and training to be had."_

"_M'lady, I think that's not-"_

"_Think on it," she continued. "Soldiers don't pay taxes, and you'll be well fed and clothed."_

"_I don't lack for food, m'lady. I may be dressed in rags, but I prefer it to boiled leather. I would not leave my father alone here. So few of us young men can claim to have parents who survived the Silence. I reckon we should appreciate it and be with them."_

"_Fair enough. You may be called when war comes, however. I pray it does not come to that. We all do. But back to important matters… Your taxes. Will you pay in gold, goods, or service?"_

"_Goods, m'lady," he said, and after that all that was left was to determine how much he was owed._

_His toll was to paid for in lumber, to be delivered to the castle of Cortoriacum within a fortnight. Then, the other villagers came one by one, and from each tribute was extracted. A woman returned from her henhouse with eggs and a chicken, while her sister preferred to pay two tenthmarks. A young boy, an orphan, decided to ride back to Cortoriacum to pledge a month of service at the farms. A man offered butter in payment, but it was rejected by Lady Kurosawa, who stated that Cortoriacum had an abundance of taxed butter, and that the man was to pay in gold instead. Lacking even that, he had no choice but to serve at Cortoriacum, but at its mines. He had no way to refuse: Kurosawa's men with their horses and their spears stifled any notion of resistance or disobedience._

_When all was done, two hundred and thirteen villagers were counted, and one hundred and three were deemed fit for combat, though no suzerain would ever dare rally half of their population to fight, dooming their domains to wither and perish in their absence. Lady Kurosawa filled a purse with tenthmarks and small pieces of gold and silver, then handed it to her markkeeper. And, after that, she granted Aya leave to do business of her own._

_Villagers came to her with tenthmarks in hand, for they knew she had a grasp on letters and could write and read correspondence they desired. Some had messages they wished to deliver to family and friends at Cortoriacum or other villages under the rule of House Kurosawa. Others had her write down notices to be placed on the communal boards at Cortovilla, wherein a traveler might learn that this village was in need of someone skilled with herbs to treat a bout of illness. Aya wrote detailed instructions, and though the pay was not abundant, her purse was almost full now, because wherever she went, her skills were needed._

_Around the village, barrels were full of rainwater gathered from last night's storm. Though some had seen it as an ill omen, this rain was welcome after a month of autumn draughts. The roads had turned muddy, though thankfully most were still stone and not dirt. Dogs followed Lady Kurosawa's retinue until one of soldiers shooed them, and soon enough Vindomora was left behind them, though there were more villages on their way, and some isolated farms as well._

"_This went better than the last village," Kurosawa remarked. "That was… Unfortunate."_

"_Hm? Ah, yes," she meant the flogging. A man was whipped before the rest of the village for refusing to pay his taxes and stashing away some gold he had brought with him from his past service at the mines. The blood he shed, in the end, did not free him from the price he had to pay in gold. "It's much easier like this."_

_Aya better than to speak her mind on the matter. Though her merchant parents could afford her an education, she was still but a commoner, and thus she learned all that a commoner must know in one's dealings with nobles. Especially one whose help she depended on._

"_How many more villages?"_

"_Thirteen, my lady," Aya replied. "If we don't face bad weather like yesterday, we can still visit two more today."_

"_Good. I cannot wait to be back at Cortoriacum. I trust my sister to do a fine job in my absence, but I do miss her. Tell me, Aya, is there anyone you miss? Family, someone you're seeking in Albio?"_

"_My family is gone," said Aya. "What I seek in Albio is exactly what I asked of you, my lady."_

"_You shall have it, once we're done with the census. Do you have enough coin to make your way to Albio?"_

"_I do. Enough to buy food and lodging on the road, and enough to join a caravan when I reach Salisetia. It's not safe to travel those roads alone, I hear."_

"_You hear right. As for what I promised you, you only need to write the letter and I will seal it. My ring serves as my personal sigil, and will grant you passage into Albioturris. An audience with the king and queen, even, although you'll most likely deal with Princess Shirasagi rather than her parents."_

"_I think that's for the best," said Aya. "Princess Shirasagi may be more likely to help me. Do you know her well, my lady? Or at least well enough to let me know what to expect?"_

"_She's been described as stern," she answered, "but, then again, so have I. She is not one to lose her temper but is quick to make her displeasure known. You won't find yourself in chains, but if you waste her time her guards will show you the way out. So don't waste her time."_

"_I won't. I mustn't. This is important. I believe the only way I can bring change to Coloratus is if its own princess is backing that endeavor."_

"_Hm. Our sister and I will miss your songs, Aya. Ruby liked to dance to the music you taught us there. We will keep it alive in your absence. Our halls shall not be silent."_

"_I am honored to hear that, my lady. In time, I hope that more of Coloratus may be filled with music. Times have grown tense ever since Suilen broke our peace, but music will save us, this I know. I only need Princess Shirasagi to listen… Not only to my words, but to my Voice as well."_

* * *

Beyond the sea of tents of stitched leathers and campfires ablaze, Himari saw the walls of Dornengarten, thick and tall and dreadful as the castle they guarded. The dark stones were jagged and from a distance looked like a briar patch and not fortifications, while Dornengarten itself grasped at the grey skies with its tall spires and belltowers.

Ran had no desire to waste time, and so commanded her troops to set up camp and wait for their return. The five women made their way past the gathered armies, and Himari's eyes were drawn to the banners she saw on the pavillions of knights or the blazons painted on soldiers' shields. The two scions of House Yumeoji had set up camp on opposite ends of the barren fields, while House Ohara had taken a central position, granting it a fine position to trade with the others, because there were more than only soldiers in the field. Merchants peddled their wares, and no army could march without cooks and quartermasters.

Precarious shacks had been erected just outside the walls, destitute and unsafe; a spark could set them all ablaze, for they were little more than wood and cob, their roofs only thatch. Every few years these squatters were expelled, but usually their presence was tolerated because, if nothing else, they were useful labor. More now than ever before, given the lack of thralls to be seen: in the years after the Bloodblight, the Rosenreich's dwindling population saw its nobles turn to pillage and bondage, raiding villages of the three rival kingdoms for supplies, of which the most valuable were people who could work. But none had dared to raid in three years now, for the Rosenreich's strength only waned while its neighbors grew in power.

The gates were opened for them, and just past it men and women toiled on miserable, dying farms. A common sight in all of the Rosenreich, for it was a great struggle to extract anything from these cursed, barren lands. A bit of green managed to sprout from the black and grey, but Himari knew it was likely to be short-lived, for even the life that took hold in the land would shrivel up and die. To live in the Rosenreich was to learn to make the most of what little one had. And at least the people here had thick walls between them and the outside world, and their homes, though tall and close to one another, were not as near crumbling as the ones outside the walls, near the camps.

No grand reception awaited them, only the grey-haired Lady Isabella, seneschal of Dornengarten and last surviving member of one of House Minato's least renowned cadet branches. The failed rebellion of years ago claimed all the family she had, a fate known to all here. Himari found herself thinking of her mother, her sister, both hanged by the Rose Council. For all that Himari despised Queen Minato, Himari still wished to thank her for the vengeance that befell those cowards and weaklings, who punished with death those who had the will to guide the Rosenreich to the future.

For now, however, thanks for a kind reception would suffice. Isabella led the five to a bath, and provided them with the clean silks of beautiful dresses. Himari enjoyed the warm water, a warmth she hadn't felt in so long, and bathing by Tomoe's side she was reminded of her lost home, her lost childhood. The Council took the former, the Silence the latter. Himari scrubbed herself clean of all the dirt and stench that clung to her, then helped Tomoe, enjoying the opportunity to feel her skin against hers. Her naked back was harsh and scarred but that made her no less beautiful, just like the bruises inflicted by that armored abomination could never make Tomoe's honest smile less appealing.

When they were done, they made way for Ran and Tsugumi to clean themselves, and one quick glance made it all too clear that Ran was displeased to have to pretty herself up for Queen Minato, especially after Isabella told her that the queen herself had chosen Mitake's dress. Himari, however, was delighted to once again wear the beautiful colors she knew when she was young, rather than the dull armors she wore at war. She missed the halls of nobility, the dances and banquets and the songs. For the sake of the friends she loved she would endure anything, but whatever goals they had in mind, Himari's sole dream for the future was to return home, to feast again, a lady of a proud and powerful Rosenreich. And while she would never tell that to Ran, she didn't mind if it was Queen Minato who led the realm. Lisa trusted Yukina, and Himari trusted Lisa. There was no need for any hatred here, not when everyone had a common goal: the Rosenreich's salvation.

When all were bathed and clothed - Tomoe in a beautiful and long red dress that most assuredly had been set aside for her visits, because Himari knew no one else as tall as Tomoe - they were taken by Isabella not to the throne room but to the concert hall. Behind the doors an entrancing melody hummed and enticed them to approach, but when the doors were opened, the loudest sound was Ako calling out to her sister.

The two ran to embrace one another, the diminutive Ako nearly disappearing in her sister's arms. The melody came to an end as the queen's voice was silenced and all eyes turned to the newly arrived women. The Princesses Hikawa, Shirokane and Imai were there, but also Lady Shiori Yumeoji, Lady Tsushima and Lady Kagura. When Ako finally let go of her sister, Ran led her companions to kneel before Queen Minato. If Himari looked up, she was certain she would have seen the queen smirk.

"Rise," she commanded, then stepped down the raised podium to stand before Ran, who stood a head taller than the queen. "Thank you for your hasty arrival. I realize I have demanded a great deal of your time, but you will be well-rewarded for that, I promise you. This is to be the last time you return to Dornengarten as exiles."

"So you intend to restore our titles at last?" Ran asked.

"Sayo will make the arrangements," she replied. "You shall be granted your homes again, and your old powers, and far, far more. The war we will wage now is not a petty conflict over borders or a pillaging raid. We war so that we need not fight again, for our enemies will be destroyed."

"Or we will be dead," said Ran. "It is a great risk you're taking. The Rosenreich cannot withstand another failed war. But you are no fool. You know that."

"As you do. You are of course free to leave me if you believe my cause is doomed. But I know you are no coward. Risk is unavoidable for both prey and predator, so the true question is which you are. You and I will feast on the false queens of Coloratus and Suilen, pretenders who lack the gift we have, our Voices. All that is theirs will be ours, because we will claim it, and if we die in the attempt, then we are weak. Are you weak, Ran Mitake?"

"You know the answer," she said, stepping closer to her queen, until they were almost touching. "I came to answer the call. And to ask your forgiveness. The Melody you wished us to procure… It has escaped our grasp."

"How?" Hikawa asked. "Has my scrying failed you? I can only ask that you forgive me if that is the case. Melodies are difficult to trace, but I was confident that I had gotten it right."

"It was right," Himari said. She chose to use honesty as her shield, rather than let Ran be caught in a lie. "But another got there first. Another woman gifted with the Voice, a woman of Coloratus."

"Ah," Minato didn't seem disappointed, though she never showed any emotions, anyways. "Queen Shirasagi's pet. The peasant girl granted the gift of the Voice, like Kasumi Toyama of Suilen. A most curious existence indeed. Still, you were able to identify her. Did you refrain from tracking her so as not to delve deep into Coloratus, or…?"

"A woman," said Tomoe. "An armored woman, I mean, she was guarding the village where we found the pink-haired bitch. I shoved a spear right through her gut. She didn't flinch. She didn't bleed. There was nothing inside that suit of armor, but it still hit me in the face so hard I lost half my teeth."

"Tomoe…" Ako was worried, until Tomoe reassured her that she still had the teeth that matter. "That, um… It couldn't be, I don't think… A soul trapped within an object, specifically the suit of armor? That, well… I'd been working on a project like that, and managed to entrap a few souls, but strictly on accident."

"Is this your work, Ako?" Lisa asked, and immediately she shook her head.

"No, I don't think so… Mind you, I don't know _where _the souls I captured were bound, but I don't understand why it would latch onto a suit of armor, of all things, or why it would find its way to Coloratus."

"I may have the answer to that," said Lady Kagura. "A caravan hailing from Krähenhorst was headed to Coloratus, but I've heard no news of their arrival there. Arms and armor to be delivered to Lady Fumi's agents in Salisetia. With the looming war, we plotted to sow some chaos inside Coloratus. Queen Shirasagi already has a peasant revolt in her hands. Once people start getting killed inside castle walls, well, her rule would become considerably less stable…"

"Was this your plot, or my sister's?" Shiori asked. "I suppose the wanton murder was Fumi's idea."

"What does it matter?" Yoshiko shrugged. "A ghast inhabiting a suit of armor, or some monstrosity from the Deadlands, neither is our concern. We learn nothing by dwelling on coincidences."

"You're right," said Ran. "It is the war that should occupy our minds. When do we march?"

"Soon," said Minato. "First we await the arrival of Queen Tsurumaki. It appears Lady Saijo has been able to persuade her to meet with us. By now she must be only a week away, near Rosenfeste, so she may make the rest of the journey alongside the Kurobane sisters."

"Rosenfeste…" Princess Hikawa sounded troubled. From the look of things, however, that was just the way she usually sounded. "Not too far from Roterhain."

"Indeed. Let her glance upon the Ashencairn and see the fate of all who defy the Rosenreich," said the queen. "That should keep her from ever hatching any foolish notions of betraying her in the future. Until then, I ask that you make yourselves comfortable in Dornengarten. Please, join me for the feast tonight. And, Mitake… You do look beautiful in that dress. I hope it pleases you."

"It does," Ran said, getting red with anger or with embarrassment. There wasn't much separating them, not with Ran. "Thank you. We will take our leave now."

The others followed suit, save for Tomoe, who had no desire to leave her sister so soon. Ran allowed her to stay, though once the doors closed behind them and the queen and her princesses were no longer close enough to hear, she began to groan, frustrated.

"It's fine for her to love her sister," Ran complained, "but what am I to make of her so quickly abandoning us for her sister's sake?"

"Ran, methinks you need to breathe and clear your mind a bit," said Moca. "You're being paranoid again."

"Shut the fuck up, Moca."

"Ooh, you're just saying that because you know I'm right," she smiled. "Is this what the queen sees in you? The way you always live right on that thin line between keeping your calm and shitting yourself?"

"_Please, _shut the fuck up, Moca."

"You're just proving her point," Himari remarked. "Still, will you meet the queen?" Ran didn't answer. "Will you stick a dagger in her, or will you, erm, stick a _dagger _in her?"

"Please, Tsugu, help me out here," Ran asked, but Tsugumi knew better than to get involved. "Of all the people in the world to be exiled with, it had to be you… Minato has made the mistake of confiding in me, though she herself knows she ought not to trust me. For the sake of our dream and our vengeance, I will meet with her and learn all I can from her."

"Ah, so that is why you so valiantly make the sacrifice of fucking the queen, I see…"

"Enough with the jokes. You ought to take things seriously. I've never known Minato to suffer failure lightly, yet she cared not one bit that we did not bring her the Melody she tasked us with finding. What could it mean?"

"It means you think too much," said Moca. "It's unbecoming, and makes your face look like a beet. Not everything is a conspiracy, and not everything has a deeper meaning. What could Queen Minato possibly do, anyways? Sometimes life just shits on you, that's no reason to go around punishing your allies. Besides, she has plenty of Melodies already. Did you see Lisa's fancy new dress? There were Melodies on it, and though the fabric looked soft and beautiful, I saw in it the glimmer of metal."

"I swear, you notice only the most insignificant of details… You say I think too much, yet you never seem to think, never seem to worry what our enemies plan."

"Queen Minato is not our enemy," said Himari. "Not yet, at least, though if you keep whispering these seditious words in her halls she might become an enemy after all. We're not in our own fortress anymore, remember that."

"How quick you are to forgive," said Ran. "Suit yourself, then. Do not forget, however, the fact that, before our exile, we also thought House Minato was a strong ally. So you may well keep your eyes open and understand that everyone is a potential enemy. Everyone could try to stab you in the back. You can trust only a small circle of people. And I trust you. But Minato… Minato betrayed us all, years ago, to save her skin. How much trust are you willing to place on her, then?"

"As much as necessary," said Himari. Tsugu stayed by Ran's side, keeping her thoughts to herself. Himari would have liked to hear them. "You long for vengeance, Ran, and one day I did, too, but… It's been so long. More than anything, it's my home I miss. I want to go back."

"As do we all," Ran admitted. "There is much I want, however, that I will never claim. Home… The homes we once knew have been lost, and our return there will never satisfy us, for we will find our homes empty, and our dear memories stolen from us by time or by the Silence. The past is but a lie, beyond our reach. Thus we must look to the future, so that we don't repeat the mistakes we made before, so we can be safe. And that means knowing who we can trust."

"Ran…" Tsugu finally spoke, whispering into her ear, but Himari was too distant to hear her words.

"I know that," she replied. "You don't have to stay by my side when I claim vengeance. But I will never know peace until then. The power of my Voice… It serves to kill the past, to free ourselves from its bondage."

The Voice of Savagery… A cruel name for a cruel gift. Ran had learned from Sayo's studies that the Voice was a power that was linked to past and future, to memory and destiny, and it could unravel all thought into nothingness, or weave it into truth, into prophecy, into remembrance. The Voice of Madness, the Mad Queen's gift, could bring back the past, but chaotically, the same chaos of the Voice of Stars and the unpredictable duets it produced with the stars of the night sky. To unearth the past and the future… They were great powers, but they were not Ran's nature.

Her nature was to undo all memory, to ease the pain of lost yesterdays and to separate men from their better selves that were suited to the world before the Silence, the world that answered to reason. But that was not their world anymore. Ran helped them forget that which the Silence did not claim and only brought them pain, but to those who were not prepared to withstand her unbridled Voice all that awaited was oblivion, the ultimate dissolution of the few memories the Silence spared them, a descent into the bestiality that reigned the Deadlands.

Ran stepped away in a hurry, but Himari was in no rush to follow. Though they were a fair distance away, still she could hear Queen Minato's voice as it echoed through the halls, and she shivered. Something about that song almost made Himari understand Ran's boundless hatred, if only for a moment, because if the Voice of Savagery freed its listeners from the shackles of the past, then the Voice of Domination destroyed every notion of the future instead.


	13. The Everblaze

White fell from the greying skies until the wind picked it up again to whirl it around once more, forever. Ever since they approached what had once been Roterhain, their horses had grown disobedient, unwilling to follow the road south. In that, they were wiser than their riders. Ashenwind and Orchid were frightened despite their blinders, though Lady Saijo's Marmorie was more used to this grim land, and rode forth without protest. The three women went all alone, but they were undisturbed all the journey. Even in Reverie, they set out from Solcrown with a retinue to guard them, but once they entered the Rosenreich there was no danger at all, save for the land itself. Queen Minato did not suffer deserters or brigands, and hunted them down. On their way to Dornengarten, they passed by several villages that, while destitute and struggling to survive off this dying soil, were safe, if nothing else.

But there were no villages near Roterhain, no life. The Everblaze could be seen from miles away, and heard too. None would ever wish to be close to it. A blue fire lit the distance and guided the three south. Lady Saijo had suggested they avoid this area, but Queen Kokoro insisted she wished to visit Rosenfeste, and the quickest path was the road that passed by Roterhain.

"Snow?" Kokoro remarked, looking upon the distant white. "The snows of the Rosenreich were beautiful, once, you know. I actually remember them, the purest white I'd ever seen. A shame that now it is so…"

"My queen," Kaoru had to speak out. "That's not snow. That's ash."

As they drew closer, the smell of cinders was unmistakable, and the crackling of fire, as well as its sapphire gleam. It would be beautiful if not for its origin. The Ashencairn, some called the ruins of Roterhain, once a walled city under the rule of the Rose Council. A city built to match Falterstadt, made to be its northern sibling. Though the Council was first extinguished in Falterstadt, its remaining members mounted a resistance at Roterhain.

It all still burned, after these years. Kaoru could not tell what parts of the ruins had once been walls, and which had been farmhouses. Everywhere, the fire was an eternal blaze, its ghastly blue peering from beyond the walls and buildings that still stood. The gusts that blew here were unnatural, too, cold despite the unbearable heat of the flames. A magical fire, born of a Melody, its dreadful song awakened by Princess Shirokane, for just as that magic could be shaped into life and memory, it could be made into the relentless force of fire.

The Everblaze. Kaoru witnessed it in frightened awe, even from a distance, for she would not dare ride any closer. Blue sparks rose into the sky, then joined the ashes blown eternally by the cursed wind. Kaoru avoided them the best she could, though Queen Kokoro's hair and face were soon spotted with grey as she looked directly at Roterhain. How much of the cinders were once people? It was best not to think of it.

"I hoped to avoid this sight," said Lady Claudine. "We could not risk a prolonged siege and war. And yet this feels excessive. I know that when a city is sacked, no general can hold back their troops as they pillage and murder and put the entire population to the sword, so perhaps it is only a different manner of horror. A magical one, inhuman."

_But it was a woman who unleashed this power_, Kaoru thought. But it was not her place to comment. There was no beautiful war, for it was inevitably dreadful, but when she heard the song of the flames, the ghastly cries of pain behind the cacophonic crackling of the Everblaze, she questioned Kokoro's choice of allies. The dead still remained, some frozen as pillars of cinder, others fallen on the ground, never to be consumed by carrion that could never survive here, but the most horrifying was the monstrosity left underneath an arch that may have once been a gate. Soldiers who tried to flee the city and had been cooked alive inside their armor, melting flesh melded with molten metal, a grotesque fusion hardly recognizable as human, all the joined corpses made impossible to discern from one another. White ran down permanently screaming faces, eyes that boiled into pools of pus and now reminded Kaoru of egg yolks, and she thought of the eggs she had eaten with Queen Kokoro and Lady Claudine this morning…

Kaoru threw up inside her mouth. The stench of Roterhain seemed to never fade, even as the blue flame disappeared behind them, shrinking further and further until its light was swallowed by the horizon. A relief. Though the lands near Rosenfeste were as hideous as any other in the realm, at least it was not burning. Whereas in Reverie they had passed by many travellers on the road, here in the Rosenreich they were a rarity, and they were always going the opposite way. Merchants sometimes travelled the country, but for the most part the populace was confined to their villages and cities, finding a small amount of safety behind their walls. But there were no monsters, either. The Rosenreich was barren, a dying land, and the thorns crept towards the three travellers as they rode towards the south.

They rode past villages, curious peasants gathering to watch the travellers, and Kaoru felt compelled to wave at them, to offer them a smile, anything she could give them, pitying their struggle. Everywhere, everyone suffered, commoners more than nobles, and the commoners of the Rosenreich more than those of any other land. While Kaoru remained unconvinced of the wisdom of accepting Queen Minato as an ally, perhaps there was some good they could do here: Reverie was not prosperous enough to give to others freely, but it was stable enough to share. But of course, Minato did not graciously accept gifts, for her pride made it so that she could only take by force, rather than accept someone's pity.

"We will help them in time, as we can," Kokoro reassured her. "We shall make them smile again, as they smiled before the Silence fell upon them."

Lady Claudine's lips curved into a sad smile, as though she had given up such hopes, much as she'd like to hold on to them. All that Kaoru ever heard of the Rosenreich were words heavy with defeatism. A doomed kingdom, it was called, a cursed land, where life and death are both cheap, and the veil between the world of the living and the world of the spirits had been torn by all the tragedies that befell the realm. She felt that when she gazed upon the Everblaze, when she saw that place of death, but even in the most abject poverty of the struggling hamlets they rode past, what Kaoru saw was _life_. Suffering and withering, but made no less precious by that.

At last they reached Rosenfeste, received brusquely by the sentinels at the gates before they recognized Lady Claudine; even Kokoro meant nothing to them, on first sight, and why would she? They had never been far from this place, certainly never visited Reverie, and would have never had an opportunity to know what Queen Kokoro even looked like. Apologetic, they bowed before Claudine, and one was bold enough to kiss her ring, but she waved him away, displeased by his unsightliness.

The Kurobane sisters were there to receive them, as well as their steward, Mikoto, who was to care for Rosenfeste in their absence. Sakura greeted Kaoru and Claudine just as formally as she did the queen, but her sister Sakuya appeared to look down on Kaoru, who was a mere knight. Still, they showed their guests to their dining hall, presenting them with what passed for a feast in the struggling kingdom. There was no meat to be had, for the nobles of the Rosenreich learned the same lesson that peasants knew too well: livestock was so precious in what could be extracted from it daily that to butcher an animal for meat was purely wasteful, for their populations dwindled just as much as those of humans. And there was very little to hunt, too, and what beasts still roamed the skeletal woods were as skinny as their surroundings. Despite that adversity, though, the great Houses of the realm remained proud.

"We will ride for Dornengarten soon," Lady Sakura said in between sips of wine. "Her Serene Highness has called her devoted servants, and we shall answer. In fact, we should have left Rosenfeste some weeks ago, but…"

"Ah, sister, it makes no matter," Sakuya said. "Let us not trouble guests with our affairs. See that you have your fill, please. Three women travelling alone would not carry many provisions with them, so I hope you haven't hungered."

"We've fared well, thank you," Kokoro replied. "These are delicious," she poked the roses on her plate with a fork. "Bloodroses are a delicacy I always hoped to try, and they are indeed succulent."

"However, I must ask…" Kaoru raised her voice. "Are they called bloodroses because, erm…"

"Oh?" Sakura tilted her head. "They require blood for their sustenance, but not excessive amounts of it. Only a few drops from their gardeners," she raised her left hand to show several bandages on her fingers. Indeed, her pallor _was _rather surprising, and this explained much. "Fed noble blood, they bloom in spite of the adverse conditions. I am thankful to see you have open minds, too. There are those who balk at eating roses. We have served them raw to you, but you can cook them as well. And, if dried then ground up, make for a fine spice, and a potent medicine as well, alleviating tooth pains."

"I didn't know about this!" Said Kokoro. "That sounds delightful. I never had the opportunity to visit this beautiful country at length, or learn much about it, so I'm eager to learn more."

"Beautiful?" Sakuya laughed. "Forgive the laughter, but you needn't be so diplomatic, Your Radiance. The Rosenreich has seen better days, though most who live here cannot remember those."

"I disagree, my lady. There is beauty in everything, if you are willing to see it: the Rosenreich is not a dead land, but one full of the promise of life, because life itself is never truly gone. This promise must be nurtured to bloom, but it's there. In the silence, you can hear the whispers of the land, and they are alive, always alive, whispers in the night."

"Right," Sakuya nodded. "I suppose that's one way of seeing it. Thank you for your perspective."

Kaoru only needed to look into Lady Kurobane's eyes to know that, behind them, that mind thought only _Mad Queen_. Not all could understand Kokoro, because few were willing to heed her words with close attention. It was their loss.

"All the same, I fear I won't linger here long to learn about this country," Kokoro said. "So I would like to make the most of what little time I have. May I ask you a question?"

"You needn't ask for permission," said Sakura. "You are a queen."

"But I am in your home. There are sacred laws in Reverie that dictate how a guest and a host must behave. I may teach you about them, too. But, my question… A woman had fled Reverie not too long ago, only a few months. A dangerous traitor, a spy who abandoned the service of the kingdom in an attempt to sell information elsewhere. I have reason to believe that she crossed our borders and may have reposed here at Rosenfeste, or nearby. Would you know anything about her?"

"Hm?" It was Mikoto who spoke, and not her ladies. "Not often do travellers rest here, though they might find rooms to stay in smaller villages to the north, if they have some coin. I'm afraid none of our most recent visitors attempted to sell any information to us, and few were headed south, to Dornengarten… But the ones who did never set out alone."

"She would have been very discreet," Kokoro continued, before offering her hosts a detailed description of Misaki. Kaoru found her words strange, calling Misaki a traitor, but no doubt Kokoro knew what she was doing. "Perhaps you've seen a woman who matches that description?"

"That is a broad description, I'll admit," Mikoto said. "But a woman like that was our guest, yes, if briefly. We did not know she was dangerous, and a traitor nonetheless, so we took her in when our guards found her on the road, and she seemed to have need of food and rest."

"I had no idea you were so generous, Lady Kurobane," Claudine said. "Helping out weary travellers… Has your heart melted, have petals blossomed upon its stone?"

"We have lost much of our populace these past years. The Blight, the two rebellions against the Council, last year's drought…" Lady Sakura said. "To let your people die because you can't abide commoners in your halls is foolish and wasteful. In times of peace, my soldiers don't have much to do, so keeping my people safe is a good use of their time."

"About the woman…" Kokoro insisted. "Would you happen to know where she was headed?"

"I'm terribly sorry," Mikoto lowered her head, "but after her departure, she was not seen. Nor was anyone closely tracking guests, for that matter. We were very busy at the time, having invited the ladies Nishikino, Kagura, Hikawa and Asaka to a harvest festival."

"Sounds like a remarkable crowd," Claudine scoffed.

"Most other Houses were busy with matters of their own," Sakura explained. "Maki Nishikino and Karin Asaka were interested in purchasing any leftovers seeds we might have, and sought advice on cultivating in these barren lands, while Hikari Kagura is a friend of mine. As for Princess Sayo Hikawa, well…"

"She's everywhere," her sister shrugged. "Her duties lead her to travel all along the Rosenreich, but she's so perfectly meticulous that she plots her routes to allow her to accept every invitation she receives. She came to the harvest festival, and was also seen in Corveninseln riding horses with Lady Ohara, at the city of Falterstadt to oversee the construction of a new bridge named in honor of Princess Shirokane, and then in Teufelhain at Lady Tsushima's name day feast."

"Well," Kokoro sighed, "thank you for your help, anyways. The food was delectable. However, Dame Kaoru and I have endured a long journey through unfamiliar lands, and would like to rest."

"Of course," said Lady Sakura. "A servant will guide you to your quarters. There you shall find that a tub of hot water has been prepared for each of you, should you wish to bathe. A woman will knock on your door within the hour, and you may give her your clothes, and she will wash them and return them before we depart tomorrow, if that's to your liking."

"That's perfect. Thank you for your hospitality."

Kaoru followed her queen as they were shown to their quarters; Rosenfeste was smaller than most other castles they'd known, just a step above a mere motte-and-bailey. Further south, in the heart of the realm, the castles were thick and strong stone, but in the distant provinces they were isolated and precarious. Still, Kaoru found it cozy enough, in its own way, and had no complaints about her accommodations, save perhaps for the fact that her windows gave her ample view of the field where cows grazed and soiled - and there was a great deal of cow dung there, and a difficult stench to bear.

"What was that about, my queen?" She questioned Kokoro once the two were all alone. "About Misaki…"

"Right, right…" Kokoro let herself fall onto her bed, and closed her eyes. "I may have neglected to tell you that this is one of the reasons I wanted to visit the Rosenreich in person, and not receive Queen Yukina. The last time I saw Misaki, I tasked her with investigating certain matters in the Rosenreich… Now, I realized that Queen Yukina might see me as a potential ally, because I have the gift of the Voice just as she does, and she looks down on Queen Chiyu and Queen Chisato. I know Yukina is not as bad a person as she may appear, but her companies… I mistrust them."

"And you sent Misaki to discover what, exactly?"

"If this alliance was a good idea or not," Kokoro began. "The Rosenreich keeps secrets, too many secrets, and I wasn't sure how to feel about that… Misaki's agents had uncovered many of the plots of Suilen and Coloratus, but all the ones she sent to the Rosenreich either never returned or were unable to learn anything."

"You fear something?"

"I was curious, I'd say. Rinko and Ako, the two of them perform studies in the magical arts that they guard fiercely, and, for starters, I would have wished to uncover some of them, because the power of music is not to be hoarded but shared freely. If Misaki and her agents were to discover those secrets, when I allied with Yukina and she had no choice but to share some of her discoveries with us, I would know just how honest she's being."

Clever, as expected of Queen Kokoro. Perhaps the reason fools dared call her Mad Queen was because they were not capable of fully comprehending the extent of Kokoro's machinations. Indeed, indeed, the Sun Queen was bright as the luminous sphere that shone high above all, and that wit underneath such a beautiful visage truly made her a serpent concealed underneath the sweet rose.

"Kaoru, you're being odd again," Kokoro called her attention. "Are you thinking something silly? This is serious."

"Forgive me, my queen. I was just admiring your plans within plans. Do continue."

"Well, what's important is… I hoped Misaki would be able to uncover anything that might be hidden, before I ran straight into an alliance. There were… Certain matters I hoped she might clarify. Memories of mine, you see, things I recalled from before the Silence, but only vaguely, that made me feel in my bones that something about the Rosenreich was dangerous. This is why I sent her away… Why she's gone now."

"Did you suspect anyone?"

"I do not have _suspicions_, Kaoru," Kokoro said firmly, opening her eyes. "I have _memories_. In my dream, I glimpse the past behind mists, and in the past I see… I see white, I see tall towers, I see a city high atop a mountain. I see somewhere that does not exist anymore. I'm there, and I'm not alone, but I am afraid, and when I dream that fear returns, as vivid as the first time I felt it. And I hear Yukina sing, though I cannot understand the words, and her voice grows panicked, and she asks me for help… Ever since Misaki disappeared, my dreams have only gotten more vague. But I know it, Kaoru, I know that behind the mists there is something I'm afraid of, and it has to do with Yukina."

"And yet you trust her. Are you so certain her companions are to be feared?"

"I'm certain of very little. But I just wanted to find something, anything, and only Misaki could do it. Old magic, letters, anything… She was to reach Unterwassergrab, seat of House Hikawa, because a dream had taken me there. Rosenfeste was on the way, so I hoped… I hoped someone here might have been able to help me."

"My queen, those are only dreams… Your dreams are truer than those of others, but still, dreams… Are you sure you should have sent Misaki?"

"Yes… And no. I did not want to lose her. I did not want her to go alone, I didn't want her to be endangered… But what do I have, Kaoru, but my dreams, my lingering memories? There are things I told Misaki that I cannot tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because…" Kokoro paused. "Because you need to ask. Because you cannot help me make sense of things the way Misaki can. Besides, I don't want to dwell on it anymore. I want to sleep. At Dornengarten, perhaps I can uncover more about Misaki's whereabouts, but… It's my fault she's gone. My memories misled me, and led her to the grave. I don't want the same fate to befall you, for I cannot afford to lose another person I love."

Kaoru nodded. There was much that Kokoro was not telling her, much that she could have shared only with Misaki, and in a way, that hurt… _How can I guard you, my queen, if you keep secrets from me? _But it was not in her place to question her queen. If she could not trust the judgment of Kokoro, she who was destined to save the world and bring an end to the Silence, she who would force the sun to shine again, smiling down on the world… What, then, could she ever believe in?

* * *

_The closer they came to the walls of Seiran, the more grandiose the pavilions became, for the distant ones were foul-smelling leather but near the castle they were silk and cushions, perfumed and ample. Kaoru watched servants set her young queen's pavilion, whilst Hagumi and Misaki tended to their horses. Theirs had been a long journey, for though Seiran was not too distant from Reverie, they had to ride around the lands of House Nyubara, still infested by monstrosities._

"_My lady Matsubara," Kaoru approached Kanon, who looked quite lost and uncertain of what to do or where to go, "while we wait for the preparations to be completed, shall we pay a visit to Princess Chisato? I think I spotted some familiar faces from Coloratus not too far from here."_

"_I would love that," Kanon smiled. She did so rarely, and usually hid her face, flustered, but now she allowed Kaoru to see that beautiful grin of hers. She extended her hand, and Kanon took it, nervously._

_Kaoru knew Princess Chisato, and well, but she could recall precious little of the time they had spent together before the Silence ate her memories. But even that darkness could make her forget Chisato, the girl she had been, the woman she grew to become. She finally had an opportunity to meet with her again, and see if, perhaps, they might share their precious few recollections and, together, paint a clearer picture of their combined past._

_Before a pavilion of silks painted in countless soft colors, a hound ran up to Kaoru, barking at her, before jumping on her, licking her hands, asking for some attention. Kanon cowered away from him before recognizing him. Kaoru herself had not seen him in person after the Silence, as soon as she saw him, his name slid to the tip of her tongue._

"_Leon, good to meet you again," she scratched right behind his ears, then knelt to meet his gaze. "You're guarding Chisato, eh? Who needs soldiers when you're here?"_

"_How's Chisato?" Kanon asked, to which Leon just looked behind him and walked towards the pavilion. He understood his master's name, at least. Kaoru and Kanon followed._

_Somehow, when she looked upon the princess, Kaoru's first thought was that she had not changed one bit. Changed from what? Kaoru's recollections were vague, but the feeling that took over her when she stepped towards her friend was very, very clear. It was good to see her again, to kiss her hand and to know that she was real, not merely a false memory she and Kanon had convinced themselves was true._

"_Kissing my hand, really, Kaoru?" Chisato covered her mouth, and giggled. "Even now you can surprise me. Or were my memories of you wrong, perhaps? Well, this does not matter, and this we cannot know. It's good to see you, and Kanon."_

"_Have you been lonely at Coloratus?" Kanon asked. "I've been able to make friends as of late, and Queen Tsurumaki often comes to me for help with the realm she inherited. I wouldn't be strong enough to do it if not for you, you know."_

"_Oh, nonsense," said the princess. "You were always very strong, but could never see it. Come, now, would you accompany me to the keep? I wish to register for the tourney, and Eve has gone on ahead."_

"_You'll be joining the competition, then?" Kaoru asked. "I would gladly spar with you, should you need a partner. Our queen is of a mind to compete, too, and Hagumi as well."_

"_Seems that everyone whose name still matters means to break spears whilst jousting, or try their hand at the archery tourney…" Chisato said. "I planned on only jousting, but the main event is rather tempting. I'm not certain how well my skills at dueling would hold up to the others who'll be fighting, though…"_

"_Don't be so humble. You always were a fine swordswoman."_

"_But never good enough to defeat you," Chisato pointed out. "Unless, I suppose, I've forgotten about that, but no, I really doubt even the Silence would ever be capable of making me forget trouncing you."_

"_Kaoru will compete at the duels too, right?" Kanon asked. Kaoru just nodded, awkward._

"_Misaki means to talk Kokoro out of fighting, to keep her safe, but I would still like to bring Reverie some glory. Lady Ayase has a good chance of triumphing at the archery competition, as Lady Hikawa will abstain, and it's quite certain that the ladies Anju Yuki, Erena Todo and Tsubasa Kira will be victorious at the triads… Mainly because almost no other teams were formed."_

"_Yes, almost like our homelands have all been gravely depopulated the past year," Chisato sighed. "Come to think of it, though, I do believe that you, Queen Tsurumaki and Lady Kitazawa would make a fine triad."_

"_Hm? What makes you think that, exactly?" Kaoru pondered, but Chisato remained silent. "Well, no matter. I'll escort the ladies to the keep, if you'll follow me."_

_Chisato would not need directions nor help, but Kanon certainly did. Kaoru guided the two across the moat that surrounded the great castle of Seiran, held by Lady Shizuku Osaka. It was quite ambitious of her to host a grandiose tournament like this, especially one where the champion's purses were awfully generous, but House Osaka, mostly unravaged by the Silence, had gold to spare, and all four realms contributed to the prizes and organization as well, eager to celebrate the peace that they had built._

_Seiran itself was fervent with activity and visitors, more than the castle had ever been built to accommodate, so Kaoru knew that, if she had come alone or with Hagumi, she would have had a hard time making it past the crowds, but, luckily, all made way for the princess of Coloratus and her companions. In the busy halls, lords and ladies and knights mingled with common folk who had come to take part in the tournament as well - mainly in the archery competition, Kaoru guessed, for arms, armor and horses were beyond what a peasant could ever afford. When at last the corridors widened and led to courtyards, Kaoru caught a glimpse of the castle's smiths offering their wares to any challengers in need of new blades or armor. Castle-forged steel was desired by all, but affordable by few. The lowborn knights taking part in the duels would have to make do with boiled leather and pray they could perform well enough to attract a noble's attention._

_Though all who bore arms and could ride a horse had the right to call themselves knights, there was a great difference between noble cavaliers and knights-errant, who were little more than mercenaries. The heaviest purses were almost always handed to those of noble birth who could already acquire fine equipment and training, making tournaments quite the efficient method of distracting the peasantry while making sure gold remained in the hands of those who always held it. That's what Chisato said, at least. She had always been cynical, this Kaoru knew, but this much? It surprised her. Kaoru cared little for the champion's purses, because riding and proving her mettle was all she needed, as honor meant more to her than gold. As Queen Tsurumaki's principal retainer, she had little need of coin, and if she were to win any here, she considered saving it to distribute as alms to the needy of Reverie, or to fund the reconstruction of the southern cities…_

"_Unacceptable," a voice cried out, and Kaoru turned to look aside, and saw a crowd gathered around one of the castle's smiths, who babbled something inaudible. "Is this what passes for a spear at Seiran? The shaft is too short, the blade curved without purpose."_

"_F-Forgive me, m'lady," the man said, but the woman, her hair a deep blue, her eyes welling with anger, was not satisfied by the apology._

"_Lady Hanayagi," the woman by her side took her hand, tried to pull her away. Kaoru recognized her as the Shirokane heiress, "there is no need for this…"_

"_That's why she does it, I think," another woman said; she was so short that Kaoru had completely failed to notice her. "There's no need for a scandal, but Kaoruko just loves to draw attention to herself. Just take the damn spear."_

"_Shut up, Futaba. My spears can be damaged, so I need plenty of spares, but if they're all as pitiful as this, then what's the point?"_

"_It's already pretty bold that you expect to make it far into the tourney," Futaba replied. As tempers started to rise, Kaoru felt it was time to approach and resolve the situation before the poor smith was tormented any further._

"_Is something the matter?" She asked. "Why are you troubling this good man?"_

"_Who the fuck are you?" Kaoruko Hanayagi spat her words with disdain. "Too young to be his mother, and you don't look like a daughter either. Are you a whore?"_

"_I'm Dame Kaoru Seta of Reverie," she knew better than to lower herself to the level of those bereft of honor. "The man is only doing his job, and your dissatisfaction is no excuse to bother him. I must ask you to leave him alone."_

"_Never heard of knights who were also whores before," she said, "but when I think about it, not much of a difference there. I'll grant you the opportunity to take a deep breath before you do something stupid, and walk away."_

"_Perhaps we should…" Kanon whispered. Chisato, meanwhile, had nothing to say. "Come on, Kaoru, let's go…"_

"_How about this," Futaba stepped between Kaoru and Kaoruko, but it was towards Kanon that her words were directed. "You drag your hasty friend away and I'll get Lady Hanayagi far from here, somewhere we can get quite drunk."_

"_Fine, fine," Kaoruko complained. Lady Shirokane looked like she wanted to be elsewhere, but had somehow become part of this situation. "Not worth my time anyways. Now," she looked up at Kaoru, "I'd better not see you again. Certainly not at the lists, hm? The duels are only to first blood, but that can be a scratch on your cheke or a spear through the gut. Farewell."_

_The three walked away, leaving the blacksmith undisturbed, his face glowing with relief. He thanked Kaoru profusely, who insisted she had only done what was right, but she knew well enough that this was more than what was expected of her. While it would be quite the scandal if Lady Kaoruko were to hurt another noblewoman's servant, there was not much that could be done to punish her for the crime, and the man had no rights to shield himself with. Few knights would risk themselves defying someone high above their station; this had only worked because Lady Kaoruko was far from her own domains._

_When Kaoru rejoined Chisato, the princess was smiling. As always, there was something concealed behind that smile._

"_Is something funny?"_

"_Not funny, pleasant," Chisato said. "Most other people wouldn't have done what you just did… It appears that common sense and a sense of justice are mutually exclusive. If you were not pledged to Queen Tsurumaki, my Kaoru, I believe I might offer you a place at Albioturris, guarding me."_

"_A great honor, to be sure, but if it is any comfort, if I should win any glories in this tournament, I shall dedicate them to you. That should be sufficiently gallant, methinks."_

"_Gallant enough, yes," Chisato giggled. "It makes me happy to see that the Kaoru I vaguely remembered was true, and that you are still the girl I recall protecting wild animals in the woods…"_

"_R-Really? I don't remember that…"_

"_I do," Kanon said. "If I'm not mistaken, we escorted ducklings to their mother. I would love to see ducklings again… The woods are dark now, and only frightening things inhabit their waters."_

"_Well, aren't you cheerful," Chisato covered her mouth. "In either case, let us register, shall we? Perhaps Kaoru and I will be matched, and she can dedicate her victory to me, right after pounding me into the dirt."_

"_I wouldn't do any _pounding_…"_

"_I know, I know. When you spar with me, I'll be sure to give you a proper education on _humor. _Goodness knows we both need the practice. Still, if we do meet at the tourney, I hope that you know that-"_

"_I will not let you win," Kaoru said. "Of course. I will show you my best, and I know you will, too."_

_Towards the desks where participants were to register for the tournament, the castle was again starting to crowd. Kaoru saw Lady Minato with her companion Lady Imai, and Lady Mitake not too far from them. Whilst Lisa signed her name and asked questions to the man behind the desk, Ran and Yukina discussed something close to one another, whispering. Sitting on a stone bench not far from there were Lady Umi Sonoda and her closest knight, Dame Honoka, and together they discussed swordsmanship with Lady Tamao and her bodyguard, whose name Kaoru never quite learned. Fierce competition, she had to admit, and even Kaoru was unlikely to win against most of the people here. Maybe she could overpower Lady Imai, but even that was uncertain. Kaoru was not a tournament knight, the kind who trained all year for these events and had no other duties, nor was she a great lady. She was Queen Kokoro's guardian, the shield of Reverie._

"_Greetings," a woman brusquely grabbed Kaoru by the arm, though her voice was polite enough. Her grip was awfully strong, and she was dressed in thick armor and concealed her face underneath a large hood. Kaoru nodded, and waited for her to say what she wanted. "Are you competing at the tournament?"_

"_Aye, I am," Kaoru said, and Chisato nodded, "and so is Princess Shirasagi. Why do you ask?"_

"_Curiosity. Queens and princesses shall be competing with knights and nameless peasants, how interesting…"_

"_And which one are you?" Chisato asked. The woman's eyes stared enigmatically, and Kaoru thought she had seen her smile. A regal smile, not exactly arrogant but confident, commanding. _

"_Must I announce my name to compete?" Kanon shook her head. "Then I shall not. You could say I am nameless, but the truth is that tournaments are quite dull without the presence of a mystery knight, and I abhor a hollow spectacle. If the sovereigns of these four realms are to prove themselves in battle, then it is my duty to make this a memorable occasion. Thank you for your answers. May fortune accompany you."_

"_Wait," Kaoru grabbed her armored hand, and something felt _off_ about it. "You carry yourself with pride, my lady."_

"_Lady?" She turned back. "Is that what you think I am…? How droll. And yet I see in your eyes something most unusual, something that I so rarely see in the people that pass me by. Recollection, the memory of music, a light that has grown so difficult to find."_

"_How do you-"_

"_I do believe this will be interesting after all. I must go now. If it satisfies your curiosity, then all you need to be told is that, in time, you shall know who I am. All shall know."_

* * *

Arisa had faced a great deal of terrors in her life, but the sight of the queen's wrath still managed to chill her. Queen Shirasagi did not scream, she did not order anyone to be tortured or hanged, nor did she defenestrate any of her furniture, the way Queen Chiyu did. In fact, very little changed about Chisato, save for her eyes, her posture, the way she grit her teeth so hard it seemed to rumble the whole tower in the morning. That, admittedly, was quite serious, but Arisa had gotten used to Queen Chiyu's tantrums, so the fact that no heads were on spikes was, to her, milder than what she knew.

"I granted Aya and Misaki permission," the queen complained after gathering Eve, Hina, Hanne and Arisa for counsel. Masuki had been invited too, but said she preferred to avoid these matters. "Now they think this gives them the right to do as they wish, to abscond with Maya…"

"Maya left of her own volition," Eve remarked. "It was not in my power to stop her, and she is no child to require reprimands to enforce proper behavior."

"But perhaps that would have been for the best," Chisato sighed. "I really didn't think Maya had it in her. Am I so toothless, then, that my followers see fit to act behind my back?"

"Aya just inspires more loyalty and determination," Hina said, and though her words were honest, Arisa knew that wroth queens did not respond well to honesty. "People follow her even when they know it might be foolish. That kind of devotion goes beyond deference to one's liege. Maya loves you, Chisato, and she believes in the Coloratus you mean to build, but she also believes in Aya, in her Voice of Peace, in her grand ideals."

"Of course she does," said the queen. "She didn't take Aya's departure well, but she was saddened, not furious, and longed for her to return, for some purpose beyond that which she always knew… Aya has a way of making people believe they are special, fated for something greater…"

"Harsh words," said Arisa. "I figured you thought highly of Maya, entrusting Albioturris to her as you do…"

"I merely said that she was misled by Aya," the Queen looked at her firmly. "To be special is no great gift, no deed worthy of pride, and certainly not admirable. Maya should know better than to fill her head with these notions, but we all fall prey to Aya's words and optimism, it seems."

"Can you blame her?" Hanne asked.

"If it costs me Maya? Yes," Chisato answered with no hesitation. "Aya believes she's special, she always did. She hides behind a fake humility, wears the mask of the simple peasant girl who got tossed into something far greater than herself, insisting she never desired this gift, this destiny… But of course she does. Because when you truly don't want something, you just walk away from it."

"You believe it's that simple?" Arisa spoke softly.

"You should know it is," Chisato said. "I don't truly believe that Aya believes that suffering is honorable, and the path she chose is one of struggle, so I can only conclude that she _wants _to follow it, no matter what she says. She believes that the world depends on her, that she has the power to change it."

"Does she not?" Eve asked. "My queen, I understand your doubts about Aya. Truly, I do. And I know you don't accuse her of vanity, because it is not that which guides her forward. But you are too harsh on her, on her dream… She wants the same that we do: a kinder, better world. One that knows music again, one that does not struggle to remember its own past."

The queen rose from her chair, and walked up towards a window, looking into the distance, pensive. She was a liar, just like Arisa. She _wanted _to believe in Aya, she _wanted _this to be the path. But she could not admit it. Something held her tongue, and that was beyond Arisa's understanding.

"Do you believe that I have made a mistake, when I took this crown? As a princess, I could fight with you, I could wield magic alongside Aya, and together we could accomplish so much, or so she would have us believe… To find Melodies and to use their magic to restore our land; to rule over this country, to try and do the best I can and keep my people safe… Which one is greater than the other? Would it have been better if I left Coloratus to deal with its own problems?"

"It needn't be like that," Arisa said. "You think that you have to choose between two options, but it's not so simple, so limited. You can rule, and you can assist Aya. You don't need to fight alongside her, but you don't need to cast her aside either. Unless…"

"Unless you don't want to be left out," Hina suggested. "My queen, do you fear the idea that the salvation of Coloratus may come from Aya's hands and not yours? Her methods, not yours?"

"Mind your words. The matter here is not any disagreement between Aya and myself, but Maya's life being put at risk. We are not unfamiliar with danger, that much is true, and we have all learned to wield both magic and arms. But this is still foolish of her part. We fought together as five, and they are only three."

"Then why did you allow Aya to go, my queen?" Hanne asked. "If you believe it to be dangerous…"

"Because I wanted her gone, far from my sight. The same as Misaki, who is a foreign queen's puppet. Aya, though… Aya has always enjoyed subverting my will, but I cannot allow that as queen the way I allowed it as a princess. But it is not pride, as Hina says. If I allow Aya to dictate the future of Coloratus, its salvation, then what is to become of the realm? For a… A commoner to lead it. And make no mistake, that is Aya's desire, to guide all of Coloratus in her mad chase for Melodies, convinced that therein lies the path to salvation… But in truth it's the path to the ruin of Coloratus. There are wars to fight, and to rummage around ancient ruins looking for magic… We would be devoured by our foes. By our allies, too. We all know the dangers of this duty. To seek these arcane mysteries is to gamble with lives."

"Why does it trouble you so, that Aya is of common birth?" Arisa questioned. Chisato didn't strike Arisa as the sort to look down on commoners, and Arisa thought herself quite apt at realizing when people did so, with herself as an example.

"It does not _trouble _me," Chisato clenched her fists. "It means that she cannot understand me, nor I her. Our very senses of duty are mismatched. She thinks I am free to decide as I desire, but I am as much a prisoner of my name as any whose name is not spoken in grand halls. The future I must build for Coloratus… It is not the future Aya dreams of, so full of magic and wonder. She lives in a world where there are simple solutions, a world where determination and force of will can overcome all adversity. She has swayed Maya, and guides her to danger. Who's to say that others will not be swayed as well?"

"Yet you fought with Aya once," Arisa said. "Even as a princess, you were still meant to rule one day. What changed your mind, exactly…?"

"You should know. But then again, you fail to notice things that are obvious, don't you? Your companions had the right idea, sheltering the creatures of the Deadlands, relinquishing their empty attempts at restoring music or whatever it was that we all deluded ourselves of, once. It's just you who remains deluded, Countess Ichigaya, to think you can still pursue something that does not exist, stumbling blindly through the silent pathways of darkness. You refuse to see Aya for who she is, because you want to believe she'll be the one to justify all your beliefs, the one who'll redeem you, the one who'll tell you what you were right all along."

"My queen…" Eve tried to intervene, but her voice was drowned out.

"You're right," said Arisa. She could not deny it. "And I'm a coward, too, afraid to follow Aya, to believe and fight again… Thank you for your words," Arisa rose to her feet. "You have opened my eyes."

"Halt," Chisato commanded. "Think well on what you mean to do. Do you intend to follow them, knowing you can never reach them?"

"No," Arisa lied. "I have to talk them out of their foolishness. I want to put my hopes in Aya, no matter how much you tell me that would be in vain. But I need her to be alive for that. I need her back here. I'll even bring your Maya back, safe and sound."

"That's good," Chisato walked towards her. "You share my intentions, then. Alas, I know enough about you to know you don't deserve blind trust… You will save them, but you will not go alone. Eve, muster a dozen mounted men and ride forth towards Argentum. You let Maya go because you had no orders to stop her from leaving. Here are your orders: ride alongside Countess Ichigaya. Save Aya, Misaki, Maya. And should Arisa even attempt to assist them, to run off with them in some grand adventure, then remove her head from her shoulders at once."

Arisa did not look back to see Eve acquiesce. Instead she ran down the spiral stairs of the tower, returning to the throne room, now empty save for a handful of guards. She had little time. Her herbs and oils were stored in a satchel, and it would be a matter of instants for her to ready herself to set out, but finding Masuki in the ample emptiness of Albioturris was no simple matter, and she could have easily left already, returned to the inn she had chosen rather than stay at the Gold Tower. She asked the servants if they'd seen her, and was fortunate to find her in the kennels, petting Leon, the queen's faithful hound, his golden years behind but still a friendly creature, and smarter than an ordinary dog, too, for - the queen claimed - he taught his fellow dogs to follow his lead and commands. Arisa wasn't certain how much truth there was to that, but he was certainly rather regal-looking, for a dog.

"Lady Satou," she called out to her. Masuki groaned, frustrated, but with no one there to listen but the dogs, there was no longer any need to keep a secret.

"I'm not a lady," she mumbled, continuing to rub Leon's belly with her gloved hand. "No such thing as nobility in the Deadlands."

"Spare me your self pity. You were right to reprimand me the other day. I _was _being a coward. But I know you are not one, so why do you hide your name, your blood? I did so to run away, but you…?"

"Aye, I'm not running away from anything. House Satou just don't mean shit anymore. I don't remember the name of the castle I grew up in, and I certainly don't remember that childhood. It's all gone now. I don't care about the past, and few people do. It's just you who seems to think that noble blood is magic and that your shit don't stink. What's your point, Ichigaya?"

"My point is I want to be truthful to you, and you to me. And I want to help Aya. I _must _help Aya. You've seen the horrors beyond the Rift just as I did, Masuki. You know what's coming."

"We don't know that for sure," Masuki rose to her feet. "In all these years, not once did the _things _beyond the Rift leave the Deadlands. Who knows if they even can leave?"

"They can," Arisa remained firm. "They _will. _The Deadlands only encroach further north, their evil spreading like a disease. I haven't been worthy of trust, I know. But will you please trust me, this time? No one else has. Aya would, if I told her, but…"

"You hesitate too much," she sighed. "And you get frustrated too easily. Who else did you tell?"

"Queen Tamade. She did not believe me. She chose to accept Tae and Kasumi's words. That Melomania is a harmless thing, that it can be healed, that we needn't fear the ones brought into the country… But they're not the ones I fear. I fear what hides beyond the Rift. The shifting shades underneath the blazing sun, twisting the stars as they walk. I don't hate the people of Hanasakigawa, not that much more than I hate everyone, I mean. But none can survive in the Deadlands forever."

"Have you told Queen Shirasagi?" Arisa shook her head. "Why?"

"Because she would tell me the same thing Chiyu did. That there are more important battles to fight, that there are realms to rebuild. In the Deadlands there are so many things that defy belief, it was a struggle beyond words to convince a single person that the monsters there were real, that the Melodies existed and were worth seeking, that without those gifted with the Voice, we are doomed. Do you think Chisato would believe me if I told her of the armies beyond the Rift? Of the Melody Eaters and the ruins they made their homes? I mean, fuck, I saw them and still catch myself doubting my memories. But they exist. They will come. Up until now, two people knew this with certainty: myself, of course, and Rei. Now you know. And now you understand why I need your help."

"I'll admit I appreciate your honesty," Masuki said. Though still distrustful, her anger and annoyance were gone. "But I've no armies, what with the fact that, as I just mentioned, House Satou is gone. So I don't know what I can offer you."

"Queen Shirasagi means to stop Aya, to bring her back to Albioturris and prevent her from reaching Argentum and the Melody hidden there. Alone, I cannot stop them. But with help…"

"Ah, so you want me to help you commit treason," she smirked. "Well, I'll apologize for calling you a coward before, though I'm now wondering if you're not just a fool… But aye, I suppose I could ride with the knights of Coloratus, and take you to Aya. Will you be honest with her, then?"

"Of course. I've made up my mind. I know she will not run away, like Kasumi did, so I, in turn, mustn't cower and hide either. It's dangerous, but-"

"Danger is fine. Endangering the alliance between Suilen and Coloratus, not so much. If all goes wrong, then I'll leave you to your fate."

"I'll accept that. I already had the queen threaten to chop off my head, not even an hour ago, so you're looking positively kind-hearted. Thank you, Masuki. Aya is our best hope. Mitake, Minato, Tsurumaki, the three of them are occupied with their wars, while Kasumi has broken all her promises. But Aya will not. I won't let her. So when do we-"

"Hold on," Masuki held her arm. "Cherrywind and I will take you to Argentum, and I'll trust you know what you're doing, but you owe me at least one answer. Tell me, Ichigaya, how are you and Rei so certain that these… These Melody Eaters are a threat?"

"Because they've amassed an army," Arisa said. "They are unifying under a single leader, a single banner. And I know this because Rei was their soldier. And… And because I know that it was not just her people that she brought to Suilen, the ones who did not want to wither in the Deadlands, the ones who wanted to see green fields and blue skies again. She has brought an Elder Harmony with her. For over a year, the _things _beyond the Rift have not taken action. But they shall, for when is a better time than when the four kingdoms are destroying one another, and no power remains to bar their advance?"


	14. The Crossroads

A carcass of a young man was left on the side of the road, but no worms devoured it, no vultures picked on it, and this deep into Coloratus no corpsescarabs would claim the corpse, take its bones for their own. Aya stared, briefly wondering who the man might have been. A traveler, perhaps, but he carried no bags, no supplies. If another person stole his belongings, Aya could not judge them, for the dead had no use for food, but it was wrong to leave him there, unburied. She considered doing so herself, and dismounted from her horse as she looked closely at the man, but with no shovel and no time, she just moved on.

"There was a large cut on his belly," Maya remarked, riding past him. "His tunic was torn, and ribbons of leather remained near the body. They must have been a belt once. Brigands, no doubt."

"This close to Albio?" Aya lamented. They had left the city only four days ago. Bandits were the scourge of distant provinces, but not here, in the heart of the kingdom.

"They go wherever they might find people to prey upon. It could not be any other way," Maya said. "As the populace learns which roads are dangerous, they start to avoid them, and so the banditry finds new hunting grounds. We don't have enough men to hunt them all down, and, besides… That doesn't help either."

"How come?" Misaki asked.

"Others will take their place, driven to theft by desperation. Some are just common robbers who join bands in hopes of having a meal every day, others have nowhere else to go. Many had once taken up arms in revolt against Coloratus, but found that they could not withstand that life, but couldn't return to their old ones, either. So it doesn't matter how many heads you take, how many nooses you tie. There will always be more, as long as there are those wallowing in misery."

That struck Aya as strangely enlightened for Coloratus. Those were certainly not Chisato's words, nor Hina, and for all that Maya lamented the situation, this was a good time to be an executioner in Coloratus, never lacking for work. Aya crouched down before the dead man, and whispered a tune, calling forth embers to her fingertips. The flames caught his cloth, and spread to the rest of his body. This was not as good as a burial, but burning the dead was still considered respectful enough by most, for it meant they would not feed the beasts, nor slowly decay into naught but bones. _Dead is dead_, Aya thought, but still she couldn't bear to simply ride away, not after seeing the man's face, frozen in death.

They were back on the road after that. War had never reached these lands, despite the banditry that roamed there, so Aya found herself surprised at the greenery she saw, scarce as it was. It was far more than she had known in the south, close to the Deadlands, where the lifeless grey encroached day after day, sinking its fangs into the earth, draining it of color as it had consumed sound and memory.

Stone roads gave way to beaten dirt paths, more the marks of wagon wheels than actual roads, in truth. Aya kept her hand on her sword's hilt, and cautiously inspected each grassy knoll or roadside hut and cavern on their path, knowing that they could conceal those with ill intentions. With Misaki by their side, there was little to fear, especially with the backing of Aya's magic, but she would avoid any killing, if she could. When she fought to pull back the Silence and reveal the world it devoured, she did so for _everyone's _sake, be they wicked or innocent - if one could so easily make such a distinction. It was not in her place to judge who deserved salvation and who did not; to do so demanded arrogance without bounds.

By nightfall they neared a village, and in good time, for Aya found herself tired from riding all day, and hungry as well. Her horse, too, would surely appreciate some respite. She had worked her hard, and had not rested all day, so the poor animal deserved some food, and peace as well. Following Maya's advice, she chose not to name this horse, as she did years ago; Maya would ride Sundrop during their journeys together, seeking Melodies, but he was bitten by a swamp dredger and died of infection only a week later. To name a horse, Maya explained, was to one day bury a faithful friend.

A young boy helped them tie the horses at the makeshift stables, and earned a coin from Maya for his troubles. Misaki's horse was the least exhausted of the three, which at first had surprised Aya, upon seeing her mount the animal wearing such heavy armor, but in truth, as there was nothing inside the plate, she was not as heavy as one might think.

The three walked towards what passed for an inn: in truth, just a house, larger than the ones around it but in no way comparable to the inns Aya had seen in Albio or the other cities of Coloratus. Still, even the smallest villages had an inn, if they were reasonably close to the kingdom's main roads. Business might not be as constant as it had been before the Silence, but it was no great struggle to keep a clean mug or good sheets stored away, for when a traveller passed by in need of bed and board. The inn here was not exactly decrepit, and the cobwebs were rather discrete, all things considered, but it had certainly seen better days. Aya could feel the smell of tench being cooked, and of carrots and potatoes made into stew.

"Smells great," Maya remarked, then turned her glance aside to Misaki. "Erm, sorry. Didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," Misaki said. "I was never one to eat while on the road. It's just my own cooking I trust, anyways."

"Excuse me," Aya stepped up to the man behind the counter, lazily scratching at his arm, almost asleep. "Could we-"

"Ah!" His eyes opened wide, and he jumped to his feet. "We have nothing, we've nothing, we did as you bid-"

"Hold," Maya said, urging the man to breathe deep. "There, that's better. What's the matter?"

"We paid," the man said, grabbing onto the counter. "Just one week ago, tell your chief, tell her-"

"It seems you're mistaking us for someone else," said Aya. "We're just travelers. We need a place to stay."

"Ah, ah, I-I see…" The man sat down again, clutching at his heart. "Forgive me, I… I do not usually see travelers clad in such heavy armor, so I assumed that you were…"

"Soldiers?" Misaki asked. "Brigands?"

"Just so. It would not be the first time, far from it… We pay whenever they come to collect, but their appetite only ever grows more voracious," he said, then pointed at a broken table on the corner of the room, splintered chairs all around it. "They thrashed that when I hesitated to give them my horse."

"Have you brought word of that to Albio?" Maya asked. "Ask for some soldiers to be stationed at the road…"

"The journey to Albio is too dangerous for us," he replied. "The nearby band has horses, they are always riding and looking for victims, and when we… No, I should not have said that… Forgive me, I must ask you to leave. I cannot host you."

"Go on," Aya insisted. "You have nothing to fear from us. We are friends of the queen, you see. We may not be able to ease your troubles at once, but we want to keep the peace. So tell us, please."

"The people I receive," he said, nervous, "I send them on their way after they've eaten and rested, but I… I'm forced to inform those bastards about them, tell them there's someone with a purse full of coins on the road south. I am to… Stars forgive me, I am to make targets of them."

"So that means…"

The corpse they had found on the road. Aya realized at once what had happened. Her chest hurt and she grit her teeth, but chose not to tell the man of the dead traveler they had passed by. Further guilt would do him no good at all.

"I understand," said Aya. "This band, how many in all?"

"I don't know," he began to stutter, "pr-probably a dozen. Not much more than that. Most had taken up arms in revolt until some months ago. Their leader had been a captain of the revolt, but the others turned on her. They have a pack of hounds, too, if that matters at all…"

"It does not," said Aya. "Maya, Misaki, I take it that we're all in agreement that something has to be done?" When the two nodded, she felt ever more determined. "Very well, then. My good man, please get us some food. It's tench I smell, right? It smells delicious."

"Yes, it is. I caught it just earlier today, when I went out fishing, not far east of here. For years the fish we found there were rare, and tiny, but now they seem healthier, so I felt it would be fine to catch some."

"Good choice," said Maya. "We'll be staying the night, then head north at the break of dawn. If these brigands ask, be sure to tell them, alright? North, remember, towards Argentum."

"You can't mean to-"

"You'll have to inform them anyways, no?"

"A-Aye, that is true. They have my daughter, you see, to cook and clean for them, and to… To make sure I help. Please, let no harm come to her, I beg of you."

The three, then, took their seats by the fire, watching a fat and succulent tench roast before them. Aya pitied Misaki, but there was nothing that could be done, and it had been some time since she had last feasted on fish.

"Remember that time, at, erm…" Maya took off her lenses and placed them next to her plate. "I think it was Lascuta? The city around the pond."

"Lascuta, yes," Aya said. "Oh, right, when Eve talked us into fishing. We got so excited, didn't we? She taught us how to make fishing rods, and what kinds of bait were best…"

"Mine broke, huhehe… That was sad, I had caught a large one too… It was bright red, really pretty, I swear I had it…"

"If it was red," Misaki said, "then it was probably dangerous to eat. I remember one time at Reverie," Misaki said, putting a hand on her head, focusing, "a river flooded Goldhill and the streets were filled with bloody fish. So much blood, and the waters had turned red, and the fish all had no organs inside them when we cut them open, it was as if they were just… Like bladders filled with blood."

"Oh. Then perhaps I got lucky," Maya said. "Chisato didn't, though. Huge cod hit her right on the face… When she finally cooked the damn thing I swear I saw sadistic pleasure in her eyes. Up until she tasted it, that is."

"Right, ugh," Aya had almost forgotten that dreadful affair. "Ugly bastard had the last laugh, tasting like shit the way it did…"

"You ever eat shit before?" Misaki asked. Aya had no answer for that, especially when Maya started laughing, so she just looked away, embarrassed. "That does seem terrible, though. You were lucky not to catch any diseases, though."

Aya knew better than to remark that she spent that entire night shitting her guts out. She would take that secret to the grave.

"And Hina…" She said, diverting the subject. "I'd like to say I still don't believe what she did, but, well… I've known Hina enough to believe anything."

"Oh, dear," Misaki had only known Hina briefly, yet already dreaded her. "Go on."

"Said we were being ridiculous, trying to catch fish like that, just one step above reaching into the waters with our hands," Maya said, holding back laughter. "So, of course, she used magic. All the fish floated to the surface of the lake, then hovered in the air, drawn to Hina's hands. She started giggling when she grabbed it, that slippery thing, and dropped it. Eve felt sorry for the poor fish and threw it back into the pond, and Hina let them go back to… To whatever it is that fish do, I suppose."

"The more I learn about this Hina Hikawa, the less I understand," Misaki sighed.

"We never really understood her, I guess," Aya shrugged. "You don't have to understand someone to love them, and Hina has saved our skins on more than one occasion. I know she made a poor impression on you, but she's not a bad person."

"She has gotten a bit more reckless during your absence," Maya noted. "Caring less about others and doing as she pleases. It started after she met with Princess Hikawa, her sister, and the Rosenreich retreated from our lands. But I know better than to ask Hina anything about Sayo. Besides, I suppose that period was, erm… I don't want to say _traumatizing_, but…"

"Yeah," Aya put her plate aside. "I suppose we all changed," she said, then collected her thoughts for an instant. "Well, Eve seems to still be the same."

"Huhehe, you'd be surprised," Maya said. "I'll tell you all about it as we eat and- Ah! Sorry again, Misaki."

"Again, it's no problem. I was a spy, remember? Dinners for me were always less about the food and more about listening to other people talk."

* * *

_To see the village in the distance, small as it was, came as great relief after a long and tiresome journey through the bog, a journey that left Aya covered in mosquito bites and forced her to dispose of her heavy greaves so that she could actually maneuver through the swamp. Hina, of course, had suggested burning the whole place to clear a path, but none agreed with the reckless proposal - though Maya began to regret it after the swamp's waters began to bubble and burst and drenched her in filthy mud. _

"_Would it be excessive to offer a title of nobility in exchange for one of the hovels here?" The princess asked._

"_A bit, yes," Hina said, "but mainly because you can just demand accomodations and supplies. You are a princess, and one day you will be queen. You should make the most of it when you can."_

"_Best to always pay for anything we take, my princess," Eve said. "To do it any other way is only theft with a different name."_

"_Remind us again, sweet Eve," Chisato said, "what is the punishment for theft in Kotimaa?"_

"_He who steals from his neighbor becomes his servant for a year," Eve replied. "He who steals an animal is tied to a mast and kept there for a week, that the whole village may shame him. He who steals a longboat-"_

"_Goodness, you've so much…" Chisato laughed. "What an elaborate code of laws you have in your homeland. No wonder you think us mere primitives. Here, theft is punished very simply: the thief loses his hand."_

"_I wouldn't say it's _primitive_," Eve said, hesitant. "Well, either way, my princess, best we follow our own laws, always. Any of the peasants here would be honored to have such an esteemed guest."_

"_I'll even sleep outside if there's no room," Aya said, drawing giggles out of Hina. "Don't waste your coin on my account."_

"_Oh, don't be like that," Maya took her by the arm. "You need a warm bed as much as we do. And a bath, too. You are not so strong as to be above those things, and you shouldn't sacrifice yourself, either."_

"_That's precious coming from the woman who neglected her own meals so her companions could eat."_

"_Erm, well, it's fine," Maya shrugged. "I'll make up for it now. There's clear smoke coming from the village, see? They must be cooking something delicious. Beef? Venison? Perhaps-"_

"_Let me stop you before you get carried away," Hina told her. "It's stew. It's always stew. There's nothing to hunt nearby. In fact, the things in the woods are more likely to go out to hunt people. Besides, common folk aren't allowed to hunt around these parts, even in the unlikely case someone happened to see an elk trotting by. House Tanaka's law. Only Lady Yuyuko has the right to hunt. Any findings in the woods are to be reported to her."_

"_I guess I'm just used to Albio," Maya said. "There, if nothing else, fish was plentiful. Before the Silence, at least. There's still some, but-"_

"_Let us not talk about fish," Chisato demanded. "Stew will be fine, if we must suffer it. We should be glad they're not cooking puppies."_

"_I-Is this something you eat in these lands?" Eve was horrified. "Perhaps you are savages after all…"_

"_It's not customary," Maya was quick to explain. By then they were nearing the village, and she was the first to dismount from her horse, Sundrop. "But, well, times have been tough for common folk most of all, and meat is meat. When even seed grain has been eaten, when the crops are smothered by the ashen rains… Yes, people will do anything to survive."_

"_A dire truth indeed!" Eve lamented. "Kotimaa traditions dictate that there are lines that must never be crossed, even in times of grave need. There is great honor in willingly walking towards death, when the alternative would stain your name for eternity."_

"_It is not everywhere that honor is valued above life," said Chisato. "It is easy for us to judge, but it is our laws that have the final word, and we are to uphold them, lest we let our emotions guide us. Goodness knows there's more than a few loathsome behaviors I believe warrant death, but unlike what our Hina would argue, a queen has no right to do as she wishes, for she is a vessel of her realm's will."_

"_You're not queen yet, though," said Hina. "So there's no harm in following your desires, while you can."_

_Chisato waved a hand to demand silence, which Hina promptly obeyed - not out of consideration, but because she had grown bored with the conversation. The folk of the village had gathered around them, because five women on horseback were quite the uncommon sight. A boy stared wide-eyed at the princess, who took the opportunity to open her purse and distribute alms to the villagers. Amidst the crowds, Aya heard whispers and mumbles._

"_Who's that?" Asked a woman's voice._

"_It's the princess, lackwit!" An older voice replied. "Who else would have hair of gold like that?"_

"_More'n a few nobles have gold hair," a boy said, louder than everyone around him, so Aya could locate him easily. He was short, and his knees showed through the holes on his pants. He couldn't have been much more than a babe suckling at his mother's breast when the Silence fell over the world; Aya saw no one nearby who looked like his mother._

"_Good people of…" Chisato hesitated. The smallest villages received no name of their own, because none ever needed to speak of them. "Good people of Coloratus. We are weary from our journeys and our fatebound quest, and ask for your hospitality. All we need will be paid for generously, but we must have enough space for the five of us, and food, and we require care for our horses, as well."_

"_A-All shall be provided for," said a pox-scarred man, "but you might find that our humble village is ill-suited to receive our noble guests. Just a few hours to the south you shall find the town of Nidus, and there a proper inn and meals fit for nobility."_

"_No, here shall suffice," Chisato said, her voice turning stern. "That large abode there, is it a home, or perhaps a tavern, with accomodations for us? Come, let us go. Smoke rises from its chimney, and even here I can smell something… I cannot quite tell what it is, however."_

_Despite the man's protests, the five made their way into the lodging, wherein a few souls too drunk to notice the princess' arrival remained, bickering and scratching their chins and the rashes on their bare legs._

"_I take it that you do not often receive guests," said Hina. "Yet it is a communal building of sorts, no? Fascinating. I believed this tradition had died with the Silence, and village folk no longer pooled their resources together for the common good, but here I see a quaint little community. It's almost cute."_

"_This meat you're cooking," Aya said, taking a sniff, unable to recognize what exactly it was. "Is there game in the woods nearby? If that's the case, you know you were meant to send word to Lady Tanaka."_

"_Th-There's no meat whatsoever, m'lady," a woman stepped out of the kitchen, nervous. Aya didn't fail to take notice of the red spots all over her hands and dress. "I'm afraid we've nothing to serve you. The food, erm, we cannot… We cannot share."_

"_What is it?" Eve questioned, rather harshly. "Is there no food, or is there not enough? We shan't eat much, we promise, so why are you so leery?"_

"_Forgive me," the woman bent her knees. "I have never stood before nobility, much less a… A princess. Our princess. I feel ashamed having you under my roof, for it is far below your standards, and to serve you what I'm cooking, well, 'twould be a great offense, it is little more than, ah… Insects, yes, insects and tree bark."_

"_She's lying," said Hina, but her tone was not accusatory but curious, playful. "And a poor lie it is, at that. Maya, Eve, what do you make of it?"_

_It was only then that Aya realized that the five of them were surrounded by the folk of the village. Eve took her hand to her sword's hilt, but despite the tension, it did not feel to Aya like things were about to descend into violence. Thus, she did not feel compelled to reach for her own blade._

"_Let us into the kitchen," Aya asked the cook. Absurdly, she began to smile, but her eyes teared up. Whatever it was that she was hiding, Aya began to feel her stomach sink._

_After a moment of hesitation, she moved out of the way. Aya was the first to step towards the kitchen, and felt the stares of a dozen eyes on her back. There were murmurs behind, but she walked softly towards the half-closed door, and pushed it open._

_A pot boiled over a large fire, and chunks of meat floated on the surface alongside skinny carrots, pease and some spots of green. On a wooden counter, a bloody cleaver had been left next to chopped onions and anise seeds. A strong scent filled the air as Aya drew closer to a flight of stairs leading down into a precarious cellar, cold and small. Aya conjured a small light, and its pink gleamed upon the dark red of flesh, muscles and blood. A corpse hung from the ceiling, suspended by hooks. The right arm was gone entirely, while only the upper half of the left remained, and a shard of bone jutted out from it. The torso was almost entirely hollow, and the head was gone. Herbs were placed near the body, their foul scent keeping carrion flies away._

_Aya did not look upon it for long. She turned back, returning to the hall wherein the villagers had gathered. Her companions, too, were quick to join her, unwilling to gaze upon that butchery more than they had to._

"_Who was that?" Eve demanded, her sword hand shaking._

"_A traveler," explained a girl, no more than twelve. I found 'im dead on the swamps."_

"_Cannibalism," Chisato said, disgusted. "It is, I'll remind you, a heinous crime. As to finding a dead man in the swamps, what proof do you have that you did not kill him, that you did not send him to the bogs, that danger might claim him?"_

"_Please, m'lady, listen-"_

"_I am not your lady," Chisato thundered. "I am your princess. This… This is wrong."_

"_We were starving, Your Highness," the cook pleaded. "The bog… It used to be our farmlands, 'fore the Silence drained it of life entirely. There's naught to hunt, and the fruit trees of the woods have withered. We cannot cross the swamp either. Others who tried before have died-"_

"_Have you eaten them as well?" Eve asked. There was no answer. "Your own kin…"_

"_Our kin would not have wanted us to starve," a man said. "Aye, this is wrong. But we've eaten rats, mulberries, leaves and tree bark. We've nothing, nothing at all… Please, take pity on us. We know the punishment…"_

"_Death," Hina said. "The very thing you hoped to avoid… How ironic. I suppose, though, that beheading's a faster and more merciful death than starvation."_

"_But we've done nothing wrong," the girl stepped towards the princess, suddenly, and nearly lost her hand for it as Eve drew her blade, on edge. Aya reached for her dagger, but remained still. This could turn ugly easily, and while Aya wished to avoid any violence, the princess was unlikely to let a crime go unpunished. "Please…"_

_As the crowd stirred, Aya thought she'd seen someone reach for a knife by the side of a plate. Before anything could happen, though, Hina clenched her fist. At once, in unison, all the folk of the village fell to their knees, and their arms wrapped around their bodies against their will._

"_My princess," Maya whispered. "There is no need for violence, should they learn their lesson. To shed innocent blood-"_

"_To eat the flesh of man is not an innocent deed," said Eve. "There are lines one mustn't cross, as I said. Even in desperation, not ever."_

"_Have you ever starved?" Aya asked, but didn't wait for a response. "Mayhaps, were we in their place, we would not act so differently. Few would not fear a slow, painful death. Most would do anything to save themselves, their children, their friends. And, perhaps… Perhaps some willingly walked into the bog, for they felt there was no other way? For death was inevitable, so better a quick death at the hand of monsters than one that drags on, and if they can earn life for their friends, family…"_

"_You would defend them?" Chisato asked. "You pose a foolish question, too, because I know you would remain resolute, and never lower yourself to such means, so why would you even argue to the contrary?"_

"_We'll never do it again," a voice pleaded._

"_You've given them alms," Aya remarked. "And we've slain most of the fiends that haunt the swamps. It remains a dangerous journey, but they might make it. Start anew with what they have been given, leave this behind."_

"_Truly, yours is the Voice of Peace," Chisato sighed. "The last thing I want is a slaughter. This vile deed, born of desperation… Perhaps I can show mercy. Yes, that would not be so lenient, considering the circumstances. Eve, give me your sword."_

_Obeying her princess, Eve offered her a beautiful and slender blade. Chisato ordered Hina to release the people from their magical binds, and she walked towards the cook, asking for her to extend her hand. Crying, the woman did so. Chisato took the blade's edge to the woman's palm, and there she made a cut, blood dripping onto the floor._

"_By my mercy, you shall not lose the hand. This blood price is sufficient."_

"_Thank you, my-"_

"_I was not finished," the princess said, returning the sword to Eve. "What happened here was profane and evil. A few drops of blood cannot undo this sin. This must end, you understand? Make your way across the bog. Eventually you will find the road. Follow it south and you will remain safe. Never speak of this again, and never again feast on human flesh. And cleanse this place, that no one will ever stumble upon this village and find out what happened. Burn it. Burn it all."_

* * *

They waited at a crossroads not long past noon, until at last they could hear hoofbeats; Misaki tried to count them, and figured there were eight or nine riders coming from the north, though she did not see them amidst the shrubbery and jagged hills. This road was inviting to ambushes; Misaki knew plenty about those, though she had no recollection. Arranging meetings far from the sight of people, under cover of darkness, and skulking unseen… Misaki shuddered at the thought. What did she do under the Mad Queen's orders, for her to know so much of subterfuge? And the way she spoke to Kokoro, the way the queen replied…

"They're here," said Maya. From behind a grey hill, riders poured out from left and right to surround the trio. Eight of them, Misaki confirmed with a quick count.

"I'll ask the ladies to relinquish their jewels, their gold, their letters, anything you shall have no need of for the journey ahead," demanded the woman who was evidently their leader. Her hair was a dull orange, short and tidy, but her eyes were shockingly kind for a highwaywoman.

"Won't ask for our food, too?" Aya asked.

"Nay, you may keep that," she said. "Wouldn't want you dying, no? Between a brigand and a murderer there's a great distance, and I don't intend to cross it. But I do intend to take your money."

"Then what of the man you've slain on the road back?" Misaki asked. "Was that not murder?"

"He resisted," cried a rider by the chief's side. "He fought. There was no choice-"

"Ah, so that's what this is all about," the woman interrupted her lackey. "That explains your armor, and that fancy sword of yours," she pointed at Sieg. "You think you're going to bring justice to us. The way I see it, though, you're outnumbered, and by much."

"We're enough," Misaki said. "The innkeeper at the village, he told us. You have his daughter, don't you? Your cook, your servant…"

"Our washerwoman too," she said. "We treat her kindly, I give you my word. But we must have some cooperation, so we took her to our village."

"Your… Village?" Maya didn't seem to understand.

"Of course. What, you think we just live in the woods? We did once, I suppose," she said, her hand on the shaft of her spear. "I know you, the Yamato woman, though this time you're not by your queen's side. My name's Chika, if you care," Misaki didn't feel like returning the courtesy of introducing herself, though Aya did so. "Now, if you want this to end in blood, give me the word. If you'd rather give us your coin and listen to us, though, I think that'll be better for everyone else."

"Listen to what?" Aya asked. "Your excuses?"

"Our reasons," Chika said. "None of us enjoy killing, and we certainly don't like where life has led us, but we've homes, you see, and this far from Albio, it's a great struggle to eke out a living from this cursed soil. We try, though; we send riders to nearby markets to buy seeds, knowing that most will never yield any fruit, and we tend to what we call farms even though very little grows there. Tell me, if your sisters were starving, your older sisters, crying because they always felt it was their duty to care for you… What would you do?"

"It doesn't matter what we'd do," Misaki said. The mention of siblings inflamed her, though she couldn't tell why. "What matters is what you did, what you are. Deserters, brigands… Thieves."

"You joined the uprising, did you not?" Aya asked. "Yet you walked away from it. Why?"

"Didn't feel like hanging," Chika said, somber. "Didn't feel like watching my family hang, either. With your mouth glued to your queen's asshole, you might have failed to notice it, but the soil is wet only with the blood your armies have spilled. At Valentia, half the populace was put to the sword under the orders of Lady Kurosawa. To root out the rebels in hiding, the village burned. I wanted to keep fighting after that, because I know it is a good, righteous fight, but unlike most of my companions, I still had a home. So I headed back, hoped to live with my head hanging low."

"And that led you to banditry how?"

"Have you ever been on the wrong side of a war, my lady?" Chika asked, letting go of the spear. Misaki realized, then, that her right hand was wood, not flesh. "As a matter of fact, when one side has warhorses, heavy armor and training, that's the right side. But not mine, so when I returned to my home, I found that it had changed. No aid came to us when we asked for it, as punishment for our defiance. So many of my friends had died in battle, and the ones that stayed behind were gone. Some were wise enough to leave that place and join the armies of Coloratus, but most didn't have the opportunity."

"That's tragic," said Aya, "truly, it is. I'm no staunch defender of Coloratus, I've never been one, but I _am _a defender of the innocent and those who try to lead their lives in peace."

"Then defend us," said Chika. "We're no longer innocent, I'll grant you that, but like everyone else, we wish for peace. No more, no less. Robbery is the price we paid to survive. Were there another, we would have paid it. That traveler's death was unfortunate, yes. But when someone raises a blade against you, do you not raise yours in turn? This beautiful sword of yours, it's not there to look good on your belt, eh? Gilded and bejeweled it may be, and its scabbard is a work of art, I can see it plainly, but what's important is its blade, its edge. I'll not take it from you, because no one must travel without a weapon these days. But that also means no one is exempt from drawing steel and shedding blood. That's not evil. That's life."

"It needn't be like this," Aya said, ever the optimist. Misaki wished to just lift her greatsword and be done with this, ridding the world of these predators, but she would abide by whatever Aya decided. "My duty… My duty is not to judge anyone. It has never been. Maybe you're justified, maybe you're monsters. I'm not meant to right all wrongs in this world. There is one destiny for me," she reached towards her belt, not for her sword but for her pouch, wherein she found a wallet full of marks. "I can't promise this will buy you a new life, or survival. But take it all the same. We're headed to Argentum, to seek a Melody there, to cleanse it of the evils in the city. Ours is a just cause."

She tossed the pouch to Chika, who grabbed it awkwardly, and nearly dropped it. She handed it to an underling, who stored it within his saddlebags.

"You're gifted with the Voice, then," Chika said, with some admiration. "Hm. I understand now why you did not draw your weapons at once but wielded your words and ears instead. I miss music as much as anyone. I hear that the Melodies have been used to restore life to the lands of House Morishima, but their songs have not reached us yet. What do you seek with the Melodies?"

"Salvation," Aya declared.

"Will your salvation reach us, I wonder?" Chika scratched at her leg. "How blessed you are, my lady."

"I'm no lady."

"Nevertheless, you are blessed," Chika continued. "That the light and hope of music still lives within you. Would that I could sing, too, but I am no one, born of dirt, and my dreams must be smaller. But your true blessing is that you can stay clean, kind, so immaculate… There are many who'd despise that, you know. They see someone who has managed to stay pure amidst a rotten world and feel naught but spite. But I admire you, pity you, thank you. I will use this gold well, I promise you. As well as I can. The innkeep will have his daughter back. Now, be on your way."

They did not have to be told that again; the band rode away, taking the road west, but it was towards the east that the three were going, Misaki right behind her two companions. They still had the gold Maya carried with her, which should be enough for whatever expenses they might have, but still it felt wrong to simply hand over all those marks to criminals. When Misaki first met Aya, she defended her from bandits, and Aya had not said a word of protest to that. What made these so different from Ran Mitake's thugs, then?

"Truly," Misaki couldn't help herself, "you are a defender of the downtrodden. What a pure, pearly soul you are, so kind and understanding. You're too perfect to be real, Aya."

"Of all those things, I am only real," Aya told her. "You could say that by not killing highwaymen, I am allowing them to prey on the innocent, and that I am guilty of a crime as well. You might even be right. It could be that the world would be made better by making corpses of all the wicked. But that's not a decision for me to take."

"Whose decision is it, then?" Misaki asked. Aya didn't answer, and just kept riding onward. "You can't talk your way out of every problem, and you can't always avoid conflict."

"I know. I don't expect my Voice to do us much good past the gates of Argentum. But if I can avoid bloodshed, I will. I'm no butcher, and death disgusts me. I was given the Voice of Peace for one reason; to heal the wounds of the world as best as I can. Salvation… For everyone, you understand? It's not easy, it's not satisfying, it's not something that leaves me free of doubts."

"You don't seem to doubt yourself that much," Misaki said.

"Then you're not paying attention," it was Maya who spoke on her behalf. "While we traveled together, all five of us, there was one lesson we learned that was more important than any other. We wielded powerful magic, and together we fought so well we were almost unbeatable. But the most important thing about strength is knowing when it must not be used. Once, we did not know that. Now we will never forget."

"Surely you can make an exception for killing murderers," said Misaki.

"Not this time. Come, please, this is not as important a matter as getting to Argentum. I don't want to continue this discussion, if you don't mind," Maya nodded, then Misaki. "These are memories best left unremembered, tales best left unsaid. For now, can you trust me, Misaki?"

_I can try_, is what she wanted to say. She knew less about Aya than she would like to believe, but always believed her to be one to always stand up to injustice. What was it, then, that she didn't understand?

"I can," she said, at last, staring at the smile that Aya gave her in response. A kind, grateful smile. "Of course I trust you."


	15. The Blood-Weaned Blossom

Rinko breathed deep, standing before her door, and couldn't help but notice the beautifully delicate golden filigree on its wooden surface, forming a web of briars, a thornscape. They made a lovely loop, though small and subtle, which she could only notice because she had been staring at it for fifteen minutes, paralyzed at the thought of having to join a feast alongside countless people she did not like one bit. She would lock herself inside if she could, were it not for her promise to Ako that she would be there.

_I should not have promised that_, she thought as she finally found the courage to reach for the door. Why should she accompany Ako, when she would spend the entire evening with her sister? Princess Hikawa and Princess Imai were pleasant enough company, yes, but Rinko would much rather enjoy it in private, and of course Queen Minato would be too busy receiving her allies.

Rinko had to close her eyes to open the door. She had tried, once, to reach out to others, but in time she came to learn that there were only four people in this world that she needed. She could converse with some of the ladies of the Rosenreich, but not many. As for the rest of the world, it meant little to her now.

"Princess Shirokane!" A voice called out to her, the very last voice she would like to hear tonight. She turned to see Queen Tsurumaki emerge from her quarters, calling her attention. Rinko could not deny it. "So good to see you here. I believe we're a bit late, but if we arrive there together, then who can blame us, eh?"

"W-We're not late, no," Rinko said. "It is only a dinner, and it is still early. I have felt ill, that's all. I might still need a moment to recover, so if you'd like to go on ahead…"

"I, erm," Queen Tsurumaki began to laugh, "I don't know the way. In truth, I was hoping that you might lead me there, so I was waiting for you. How lucky for me that my accomodations are so close to yours!"

"Yes, that is very fortunate," Rinko sighed. There was no denying a queen. "Accompany me, please, and I will show you the way. It's not complicated, though there are quite a few flights of stairs…"

"So kind of you!" Tsurumaki grabbed Rinko's hands. "I knew it was better to wait and ask you, rather than approach Princess Hikawa when she came looking for you."

"Oh?" Queen Tsurumaki should have said that before anything else, but that could not be helped. "Did Princess Hikawa state what business she had…?"

"I didn't ask," she grinned. "To be quite frank, I try to avoid talking to twins. There's something off about them, don't you think? My former spymaster taught me that identical twins make for the finest agents, did you know? And I hear Princess Hikawa is quite clever, so if I talked to her, I might end up revealing more than I should, and, besides, I might very well be talking to Hina Hikawa instead and not realize it…"

"You'd realize, I've no doubt," said Rinko. Queen Tsurumaki had a way of making the briefest conversations feel as though they dragged on for hours. Rinko was already exhausted, and the feast had not even started. "All the same, I expect to find her at the dining hall, so whatever it was that brought her here, we shall speak there-"

"She said she'd wait for you in your study," Tsurumaki interrupted her. "May I see your study sometime? Not now, of course, but I have heard a great deal about Princess Shirokane's library, and must confess I am _extremely _curious."

"Perhaps another day, yes," Rinko said, clenching her knuckles. She did not like intrusions in her study; all intruders were undesirable, but there was no place she felt safer in the world than her study, no greater comfort than to gaze upon no lights but that of her candles, to share no company but that of the ones she loved so dearly. "Shall we go, Your Radiance?"

Mercifully, Kokoro had nothing more to add, and complied, locking her arm around Rinko's. She hastened her steps to keep up with the Mad Queen and her boundless energy, but it was a struggle not to collapse as she was practically dragged by Queen Tsurumaki through the corridors of Dornengarten, then down its spiraling stairs.

It was a relief when, at last, Tsurumaki let go of her, so that Rinko could make her way to her study undisturbed - though the Mad Queen insisted on a light peck on Rinko's cheeks, to bid her goodbye for now. The rest of the way, Rinko could enjoy moments of solitude, as the guards at Dornengarten knew better than to disturb or startle her.

In front of the locked door to her study, Princess Hikawa awaited her. Already the thought of meeting with all the nobles gathered in Dornengarten became more bearable, now that Sayo was by her side. Princess Hikawa bowed ever so slightly, and even smiled: a rare sight indeed, and one Rinko was always thankful for.

"Princess Shirokane," she said. "I was afraid Queen Tsurumaki might have forgotten to deliver my message to you. She can be fickle."

"Fickle, yes," Rinko sighed. "You could say that. Have I kept you waiting?" Princess Hikawa shook her head. "Are the others already at the dining hall, receiving our guests?"

"Queen Minato and Princess Imai, yes. Princess Udagawa wished to be with her sister, but she will join us shortly, as Queen Minato requires our attention."

"And you require mine," Rinko pointed out. "Is something the matter?"

"Only some topics I had to discuss with you, privately," she stepped closer to Rinko. "Firstly, the Elder Harmonies… Or, rather, all you've managed to unearth about them. It seems that this information is what Lady Ushigome was seeking, though she has remained silent. The coming war will prevent us from investigating this any further, as much as I would like to learn what trail might have led her to Dornengarten."

"So would I," Rinko admitted. The tomes she had secured were precious, and few knew of their existence, for most who did once had been put to the sword when the five rose to power. "Unless… Hm, actually… She has a younger sister, no? Rimi Ushigome, I remember the name, I think… She was a companion of the girl with the Voice of Stars, I seem to recall. Rumor has it that they have crossed the Rift."

"I heard the same," said Sayo, "but my agents have infiltrated Haneoka, mostly, for this Toyama woman is of no importance in the stage set once the Silence befell us. No lands, no armies, no name, really, nothing but her magic… I heard some nobles offered her aid, but compared to our other concerns, this seemed but a trifle."

"I fear it may be more than that. The secrets I have kept… We have acquired them all in the Rosenreich, some in Coloratus and one or two tomes were found in ruins of Reverie. The Deadlands have revealed some to us, yes, records of realms to the south, but we have never been beyond the Rift. Who knows what Ushigome might have learned there, then shared with her sister…?"

"Hm. Indeed, that sounds plausible. I had not considered Lady Rimi as anything beyond a way to extract the truth from Lady Yuri, but if you're correct - and I believe you are - then perhaps it is the youngest sister we should target, and not the eldest. That may be for the best, then, as it means the war we will wage on Suilen will also bring us closer to this truth. If Lady Rimi knows anything at all about the Phoenix Harmony, then our goal is no longer mere survival but domination."

"Shall we tell Queen Minato?" Rinko asked.

"Soon," Sayo said. "Let us not trouble her tonight. When we have a course of action planned now that we have this knowledge, we will inform her. Firstly, however, our concern is the invasion of Suilen… It may be best if the two of us agree on the allocation of resources and manpower."

"Of course," Rinko nodded, though she was less knowledgeable about these matters than Princess Hikawa. However, as Houses Hikawa and Shirokane were a significant portion of the Rosenreich's forces, as well as the main backers of Yukina's coronation, they had far greater sway in the realm's future than any others. There were even those who - far from Queen Minato's reach, of course - remarked that Princess Shirokane and Princess Hikawa were the true power behind the crown. If they had seen Yukina and the force of her will, however, they would never doubt her. "Our accrued Melodies should be of great use to our allies, though I'd rather not part with them… We shall need to make use of all our magical might, and then perhaps we can even the odds."

"Indeed. We will never field as many soldiers as our enemies, so we will depend on Reverie should we need a numerical advantage. Our queen has demanded that our allies maintain perfection in all matters martial and magical, so we shall rely on them."

"Risky," Rinko pointed out. "We're lucky if they number twenty. Lady Kagura, Lady Ohara, Lady-"

"Less than twenty, yes," Sayo interrupted her. "No matter. You'll remember Roterhain. One woman in the right place can claim victory all by herself."

"Roterhain lost us a dozen Melodies. It made for a fine display of power, but it would be impractical to attempt such magic again. Still, I see the wisdom in your words. The armies of Suilen have only ever fought ordinary campaigns, so when their men witness the dreadful strength of our music, they may shatter. If we're lucky, they'll crumble before we run out of resources."

"A lengthy war will be our undoing. Conventional warfare would hand the advantage to Suilen and Coloratus. We will hold our men back and rely on our magic as much as we can. It may be that the other ladies of the Rosenreich disagree, but the two of us can convince Queen Minato. Are we in agreement?" Rinko nodded, to Sayo's satisfaction. "Good. I know Lady Hanayagi and the Yumeojis will choose to back us, but Ladies Kagura, Shirase and Nishikino are sure to oppose the use of Melodies in war, and others may take their side: Ohara and the younger Kurobane, for instance. Though the decision comes to Queen Minato, in the end, disagreements would be most unfortunate. We _must _have unity of purpose now."

"And Mitake? Despite her exile, many would follow her lead, and she would not hesitate to exert her influence."

"I have bought them," said Princess Hikawa. "Each has been granted a weapon from our armory, and a Melody. They have come to understand that our way is best. Mitake and Aoba had their doubts, but Lady Hazawa argued in my favor, convincing them. I mistrust them, and wish Queen Minato would not have invited her to such an important meeting, or the Mad Queen, for that matter, but that's alright. I will not allow recklessness and stupidity to worm their way into our garden. I have given Kingfisher to Lady Fumi; she will have the opportunity to use it soon, should anyone make the mistake of moving against us. A beautiful blade, one I did not part with lightly, but Fumi is reliable."

"Hm…" Though Rinko was aware of Princess Hikawa's ample network of spies and assassins inside the Rosenreich, it was still quite shocking to hear her speak of assassinations so openly. "I pray it won't be necessary. Our weapons should not be used to fight among ourselves."

"It is always necessary. Queen Minato has won the devotion of many noble ladies, but loyalty only goes so far. It is my duty to ensure her reign is stable and secure. There are nobles who value their own interests above our queen's will; when our victory is secure, we will dispose of them. Pay attention tonight, Princess Shirokane: though pledged to the crown, allies are not friends, and will act behind our queen's back if it's profitable."

"Is Yukina aware of these plots?" She asked. Sayo's silence said a great deal. "Well, I trust you, now and always. Let us not keep everyone waiting."

They needed only to follow the sounds of life to reach the dining hall; even Queen Tsurumaki should be able to locate it. There, the visitors gathered around the longest and principal table, in front of an unlit hearth. There, Queen Minato sat beside Princess Imai, who already feasted - for what may well be the first time in years, the plates scattered over the table were full, and more than only small vegetables and poor, scrawny meats. This was not the bounty of the Rosenreich, but purchased elsewhere.

Mitake and her companions - save for Lady Uehara - were seated opposite Queen Minato, and joined by Ako, who had not left her sister's side since she returned. The rest of the guests were scattered around the table, mingling with one another, while Queen Tsurumaki sat to Yukina's right, where Sayo was usually seated. The charming Kaoru Seta regaled a fascinated Himari with tales of chivalry, whilst the Yumeojis were seated as far from each other as possible. Lady Isabella, seneschal of Dornengarten, rose from her seat next to Lisa to allow Rinko to seat herself there, and then Sayo took her side, next to Fumi. Though not all of the invited had arrived, most were now in their place, and the only people who remained standing in the hall was the Walküre Ryo Aikawa and her guards, as well as the veiled thralls who cooked, cleaned and served at Dornengarten. A thrall was not to be feared, but even so, given the importance of this meeting, Yukina had used her Voice of Domination to render them silent, compliant, and to ensure that they would not remember the events of this evening.

"Sayo," Lisa whispered, "will you not sit by my side?"

"Forgive me," she said, and Rinko felt quite awkward for sitting between the two, and promptly reached for some wine. "I wish to discuss some matters with Lady Yumeoji. You will have all my attention when this feast is over."

Content with the answer, though evidently disappointed, Lisa set her forks and knives aside to greet Rinko with a kiss on the forehead, and then a soft smile, gentle and inviting. When Rinko realized that Yukina was devoting all her time to Kokoro Tsurumaki, she understood why it was that Lisa had been feeling left out. Ako and Himari were both distracted by someone else's company, and though Lady Ohara and Lisa got along marvelously, Mari had chosen to mingle with Kaoruko Hanayagi, and Lisa was not one to suffer her presence.

"You should try the veal," Lisa pointed out. "I haven't had it in a while now, but tonight we may indulge freely. We may not get the opportunity to do so again for a long time."

"Does Yukina mean to mobilize our troops soon?" Rinko asked. She had expected the invasion to be a few months away, but from the sound of it, Lisa expected it to happen in the coming days.

"Those are her intentions, yes," said Lisa, "and Queen Kokoro's as well. They have found common ground, for both see great benefit in haste."

"It is our path to victory," Yukina turned to face the two. "We are outmatched in terms of resources save for two: our magic fed by the Melodies we've accrued, and time. Time is the same for the weak and the mighty alike, for what determines its worth is its use. Deprived of time, their other advantages will shrivel. Fortunately, Queen Tsurumaki has already advanced against Coloratus, if briefly, so our enemies will be expecting further offensives from the north."

"How many soldiers do we have?" Rinko asked. "House Shirokane and House Hikawa, together, can field ten thousand men, but the others…"

"A little over thirty thousand in all," said Yukina. An irksomely low number, but unsurprising. Reverie was unlikely to exceed that number by much, though its armies were remarkably better-trained and well-supplied. "Coloratus is expected to be able to raise forty-eight thousand, and Suilen seventy thousand, though a great deal of that would be ill-equipped peasantry… But theirs are the most fearsome knights in the land, so regardless of numbers, it is paramount that we avoid meeting them in an open field."

"We were never going to win an honest battle anyways," said Lisa. "Still, we'll depend on a good strategy…"

"We will divide our army," Yukina said, "and then strike at many locations. The enemy cannot defend them all, and one opening is all we'll need. Queen Tamade is prone to panic, and her judgment will be clouded when she hears news of half a dozen separate attacks. You'll lead a division, Mitake another, Lady Hanayagi will gain us ground in Coloratus, Lady Shiori Yumeoji will head north to meet with Reverie's advancing troops, and I'll lead the last division, mainly cavalry, to reinforce the others when they're in need. We are stronger divided than united, and the contrary is true of our foes. We will force them to divide their numbers to respond to our offensive, then regroup where is most favorable. What we cannot take, we'll burn."

"A bold strategy," said Lisa, "but there is wisdom in boldness. Queen Tamade is one to make grand demonstrations of strength, and would amass her troops all in one great army, to smash us on the field, but if she never has the opportunity, then her arrogance will prove her undoing, because such a massive host would struggle to mobilize and respond quickly. However…" Her voice was now but a whisper, and only Rinko and Yukina could possibly hear her. "I question your choice of Lady Hanayagi to lead an army."

"She will earn victory at any cost."

"She is a butcher," Lisa protested. "Victory at any cost for her means wanton slaughter and sacrifice. She would send hundreds to the grave if it would gain an inch of ground, so long as she has the chance to brag about her triumph. Kaoruko will throw our men's lives away."

"If their deaths earn us victory, how can you say their lives are thrown away?" Yukina asked. "And if their deaths amount to nothing, then what were their lives worth? War is but a matter of proper allocation of resources. Death is inevitable, and thus the only question is not how to avoid it but how to extract the most from it. Lady Hanayagi has proven that she can make the most of scant resources."

Lisa had nothing to say after that. As always, in the end she bent to Yukina's will. The two queens returned to their previous conversation, Kokoro either oblivious or uncaring towards the interruption. Lisa just returned to her meal, silently enjoying the fine selection of meats before her, and just moments later she was approached by a thrall carrying a platter full of choice cuts. And so, while Sayo discussed something with Lady Fumi - an assassination, perhaps, or mere commiserations over their younger sisters - Rinko was left all by herself, free to watch and listen to all the conversations happening all around her, some more discreet than others.

Queen Minato and Queen Tsurumaki discussed economic agreements, and the latter was quite open-handed towards her new allies, offering relief for the famine that was the scourge of most of the Rosenreich. Though Yukina was proud and often unwilling to seek help, there was no rejecting an ally's generosity, and in return she promised to spare no effort in returning Lady Matsubara, safe and unharmed.

Ladies Nishikino and Kagura were the last to arrive, together, whispering to one another, neither of the two smiling. As latecomers, they did not have much choice in seating, and, clearly uncomfortable, Lady Maki had to sit close to Mitake's lackeys, right next to Ako. Until a moment before her arrival, Tomoe was drinking, embracing her sister, laughing at everything she said, but suddenly she turned somber. Rinko could not identify the reason, and Ako didn't seem to notice or care about her sister's changed demeanor.

While Fumi appeared quite content to spend her time brooding with Sayo, Lady Shiori was at the heart of the loudest group, surrounded by Hanayagi, Tsushima, Ohara, Asaka, the Kurobanes and Saijou, who recited some poetry in a language Rinko didn't understand very well. Lady Kaoruko's chuckles were quite obnoxious, like she was trying too hard to appear lively, and she was quick to invite Hikari Kagura to sit close to her. Having no choice, she did just that, but even as someone passed a cup of wine to her, she did not appear to feel anything but boredom.

"I tell you," Rinko heard only the end of whatever it was that Lady Claudine was actually saying, "there is no finer wordsmith than this Shirayuri fellow, what a truly gifted individual, it's worth learning this language just to read his poetry. I don't remember how I came to learn it, but it was before the Silence, and I have much to thank the Claudine Saijou of the past."

"_This Shirayuri fellow?_" Karin Asaka laughed at her words. "Oh, Clau, do you even know if you even refer to a man, and not a woman? Nobody remembers anything about it, so you might think you have the freedom to just invent any ridiculous story, but these poems you love so much, it's just so obvious they were composed by different people. Their craft is completely different from one another."

"For clearly it is impossible that an author's style might evolve with time!" Claudine scoffed. "I'll grant you that we might know nothing about the work's history, but we know _the work_. And it is beautiful, so what else must we discuss? Just because we forgot the world that came before us does not mean it has never existed."

Rinko felt the strong urge to join the conversation, distant though it may be, because, if nothing else, she knew that the language Claudine knew so well originated from one of the realms devoured by the Silence, now part of the Deadlands, almost nameless. But she hesitated, not quite confident enough to raise her voice and to share what she knew, and soon she found the time had passed, the conversation had moved to a different topic, and her words remained buried inside her.

She ordered a thrall to pour her some wine, and found it a bit too sweet for her liking, but she figured she made for quite a pathetic sight already, sitting all by herself while everyone was in the middle of conversation, so at least if she pretended to be busy with her food and drink she might go unnoticed. On the other side of the table, the laughter began to die down as the eldest Kurobane brought up the topic of war, and their conversation turned serious, quieter. Kaoru, too, had stopped regaling Himari with her wondrous stories, for Lady Uehara said she had to do something, and quickly rose to her feet. Rinko's eyes accompanied her, following her movement towards the rest of her companions, and towards Lady Nishikino, still looking like she'd rather be elsewhere. While the other conversations around the table had quieted down, here the voices were turning louder.

"Lady Nishikino," Himari said with a curtsy, and as all eyes on that end of the table turned towards Maki, Rinko found herself interested, and strained herself to hear their conversation. "I have… I have the gold I promised."

With those words, she offered Maki a rather plump bag, heavy with coin, but Nishikino didn't accept it. When she turned to face Himari, Rinko could no longer see her expression, but Uehara's eyes were almost pitiful.

"You are late, my lady," Maki was polite, but cold. "I had no hope that you would return from your exile, and I received no word from you, I only heard whispers that you had turned to banditry, to putting villages to the torch. You'll forgive me for doubting you might ever pay your debts."

"What are you talking about?" Ako asked what Rinko was merely thinking. "Debts…?"

When no one deigned to respond, Maki chose to explain it herself, more frustrated than anything else:

"Ah, yes, you wouldn't know. When Mitake's rebellion was smothered, the possessions of the exiles' families were claimed by the Rose Council, as reparations, leaving the fair ladies quite destitute. An exile is a costly thing for a noblewoman, especially when she retains ambitions of regaining her titles. They needed gold, you see. To hire and train mercenaries, to build a keep worthy of their noble lineage. Alas, they had nothing, save for jewels that Lady Uehara had managed to abscond with. I offered her and her companions enough marks to survive for some time, and kept the jewels until I received payment."

"And you're receiving it now," Himari again tried to hand the bag to Lady Nishikino. "It hasn't even been that long… You ought to have known it might have taken some years, but that we would return…"

"What do you expect me to do? I don't have them anymore. I had to sell them off to hire alchemists from Suilen to try to repair my land's soil. I had given up hopes that you would return, and had my own people to care for."

"The jewels were not yours to sell," Rinko could swear that Himari was about to cry. "They mean a great deal to me. They were my sister's…"

"Ah, yes. Your late sister. I'm terribly sorry. However, the contract you signed clearly stipulated that, in fact, those jewels _were _mine to do with as I desired, failing a timely payment. You agreed to those terms."

"Only because she had no choice," Tsugumi defended her. Tomoe looked like she was biting her tongue to stop herself from saying something openly hostile, but Ran was wholly silent, just watching and listening. "Can you not locate the jewels again? Surely you remember the buyer…"

"I am not going to go through that trouble," said Lady Nishikino. "We have concluded our business, Lady Uehara. I cannot accept your gold, for I have nothing to return to you. It's unfortunate that you lost an object of sentiment, but it is also not my problem. Let us part ways."

"How about I part your body limb from limb?" Tomoe spat out her words. Himari and Tsumugi looked quite horrified at the escalation, Maki just a bit concerned, Ako ready to back her sister, while Ran just smiled ever so slightly, an almost imperceptible smirk.

"As always, you are naught but an animal," Maki scoffed. "It is outrageous that a rabid beast like you should be seated next to human beings. But I understand, now, the truth behind the rumors. It is not your sister who is the bastard, but you. You have the blood of wild animals, and not of nobility. And yet it's difficult to believe that you might be a foundling, because who would want a vile creature as yourself?"

Tomoe's fist bolted towards Maki's face, and there was a loud crunching sound as she collapsed along with her seat, her blood shed right on Himari's face, her white teeth tinkling on Lady Fumi's plate. Fumi rose alongside Sayo, but already Tomoe was on her feet, taking hold of Lady Nishikino's chair, ready to smash it on the fallen woman. Fumi drew her long dagger, jumping to Maki's defense, and at once Tsugumi, Himari and Ran made weapons of their cutlery, though Moca continued to eat as the situation worsened. As for Ako, when she tried to rise, she fell clumsily onto the floor.

"Move, cunt," Tomoe snarled. "I'm not killing this red-haired bitch. Just mean to make it inconvenient for her to ever walk again."

"Fucking savage," Fumi said, her blade at Tomoe's throat. That was the only thing keeping Tomoe's companions from making a move. "Sit down now or she dies," she demanded, but they did not. Sayo moved to her side, helping Maki up, but Tomoe remained defiant, furious. She really was willing to die for this.

"Fumi," Shiori spoke up. "I understand you're always eager to escalate a quarrel, but there's no need for murder, no matter how much you like it. Why have you even brought a weapon with you…?"

"This is not your concern," Fumi said. "Be silent."

"Oh, no, I'm really interested in this, actually," said Lady Kaoruko. "Shiori, aren't you Lady Yumeoji? That makes your sister just your sworn retainer, because it doesn't appear to me that she relinquished her House and name, so she really should be taking your orders."

"My honorable ladies, please, there is no need for argument," Kaoru said. "We are all friends here-"

"We are not," said Tomoe. "I never had to beat a friend's ass before. Now, you little bitch, if you're not gonna cut my throat, I suggest you get out of my way because I can snap you in half."

"Silence," Queen Yukina demanded, her voice restrained but powerful, and the command shook all seated before her. Fumi sheathed her dagger, and Tomoe actually looked ashamed of herself, an emotion Rinko thought she was too simple to ever feel. "You were not granted leave to kill one another. Leave that for after our victory, when I'll no longer have urgent need of your lives. Until then, the next time you see find it necessary to fight, do so away from my sight, or you'll be hanged and given to Princess Udagawa to study."

"Forgive me," Fumi was the first to back down, returning to her place.

"I will tend to Lady Nishikino," said Sayo. Maki was clinging to her arm, barely conscious. "Excuse me."

"As for you, Tomoe Udagawa," Yukina's tone turned harsh. "You will leave us. I will not leave you without food, for that would not be gracious. You'll be fed at the kennels. I pray you enjoy entrails."

"You're joking," Tomoe said. Yukina's expression did not change. Nervous, she turned to her sister, who would, of course, abide by Yukina's decision. Then, she looked at Ran, as if pleading for her to protest, but Mitake said nothing. Uehara and Hazawa returned to their seats, too, and in the end, Tomoe left without saying a word, without putting up a fight, humiliated, looking down as she walked away.

"Your dogs need better discipline, Mitake," Yukina declared. "But I believe this may be a learning experience. We will discuss these matters in my quarters, later tonight. For now, there is something of greater importance. We will march to war soon. You have received your instructions during our meetings, but I mean to announce your duties. Our army is to be divided fivefold: I will command our mounted troops, while the other four divisions will be led by Princess Imai, Lady Shiori, Lady Kaoruko, and Mitake."

Rinko raised her hand, believing now was the time to speak. With only Yukina speaking, she did not feel at all nervous.

"As I discussed with Princess Hikawa, we will rely not only on your leadership but your prowess. You will be given weapons and artifacts from our armory, as well as Melodies. Use them well, for they are the one advantage we have over Suilen and Coloratus."

"Oh, I'll be glad to take a look after the feast," Lady Kaoruko said, smiling, and Rinko had the distinct impression that she was being cheated, for Sayo had already given her a weapon. Still, she could not bring that up, so she nodded meekly. "Much obliged."

"With Reverie at our side," as Yukina said this, the Mad Queen jumped to her feet, as if anyone might possibly not know her, "we will pry victory from our enemies' dead hands. We will leave these forsaken, plagued lands. All that we lost we shall reclaim, and we will put the world to rights, as Shirasagi and Tamade never could. This world has not known joy for so long, but only order can ensure its reign over silence. Reverie and the Rosenreich, together… Let us be this world's salvation. The false queens will be consigned to memory, and then to oblivion. And at last we will return to the glory that we may have forgotten, but have never lost."

* * *

_The shackles hurt her wrists, and the bouncing up and down of the cramped wooden wagon made Rinko's stomach turn, but she was thankful to be in the dark, spared the sight of Yukina bound, gagged and blindfolded. Neither of them struggle, for there was no point, but just being held like that was a great discomfort, and they'd been locked inside long enough that Rinko had forgotten the feeling of light shining on her eyes._

_When it gleaned again, it was like a dagger of light, and she felt so nauseous she struggled to rise - the shackles certainly didn't help, either. Sayo dragged her out of the wagon, its doors now ajar, and though her touch had always been gentle, now there was a brusqueness to the movement that made her seem an entirely different person. Rinko could see little of the world outside, but as her eyes grew accustomed to the sunshine again, she found herself near tall walls of stone, and beneath her feet, a paved road led deeper into a city. They had reached Falterstadt already. Inside the wagon, Rinko could not keep track of time, and it felt like it had not been long since Lady Hikawa shackled and bound her and Lady Minato, then shoved them into the small wooden wagon._

"_It seems the tales of your efficiency and competence were not at all exaggerated," a man said, standing next to Sayo. His features were so ordinary that he might look like any other man, but his voice was arrogant and hateful. "I'll admit I had my doubts. I did not believe you had it in you to do this."_

"_I cast my sister out of my home," Sayo said, returning to the wagon to take Yukina out into the streets. "You'd do well not to doubt what I will do for the sake of order."_

"_Consider my doubts silenced," the man came closer to Rinko, who, shackled, could not keep him for putting greedy fingers on her cheeks. "Unharmed, too, as promised. They trusted you, then?"_

"_I would not have harmed them," Sayo said. The man only laughed. His armor was far more ornate than his companions, Rinko realized as she looked around and saw that he was accompanied by dozens of soldiers bearing crossbows or spears. "Lady Imai will only lower her weapons if Minato is delivered to her unharmed. And Udagawa may surrender for Lady Shirokane's sake. The sooner we can bring an end to these pointless hostilities, the better. The Rosenreich needs peace, and it needs peace _now_. This conflict has cost too much."_

"_Yes, yes, indeed," the man rubbed his hands at the greatest of prizes: Lady Minato herself, leader of the rebellion. "You are as helpless as any street urchin, deprived of your Voice," he smiled repugnantly. "Now, Lady Hikawa-"_

"_My price," she interrupted. "I trust Fumi Yumeoji, too, is unharmed."_

_The man snapped his fingers, and an underling brought a chained woman with him; soot covered her face, and her beautiful blonde hair was now tangled and damaged. If not for Sayo's words, Rinko would not have been able to recognize this was the woman she had conspired with at Dahliengrau._

"_Hand her to Lady Hikawa," the man ordered, and his soldier reached for a set of keys, and with little difficulty he freed her from her constraints. Yumeoji looked quite relieved, though confused at Rinko and Yukina's presence. "Her blade drank noble blood, you know. If not for the irregular circumstances, she would have been executed for her murder of Lord Yashio, but she was too valuable a hostage."_

"_It is fortunate that your cool head has prevailed then, captain," said Sayo. "Though you won't be captain for long, will you? With an absence in the Rose Council's ranks due to Yumeoji's deeds, it is not merely gratitude that will be the coin used to repay you. Lord Hiromachi… A bit pompous, I find, but you may come to grow into it."_

"_Ha! I expect to, yes," he guffawed. Rinko looked anxiously at the soldiers all around, and there were more of them than she had noticed at first count. One third had their weapons pointed at Yukina, another at Rinko, and the last towards Sayo herself. "To tell the truth, I believe most of the members of the Rose Council will be loath to share the rule of the Rosenreich with someone of birth as low as mine, but once I wed Lady Hanayagi, we shall have children who will grow the same as any noble. She may be of foreign birth, but is a pearl of Suilen, a treasure any would wish to claim."_

"_What you claim is not my concern," said Sayo. "Has she spoken on your behalf to the Rose Council? For you to be so confident of the title you are to be granted, I take it she has persuaded some of the nobles there."_

"_Aye, and you owe her a great deal, too. She has convinced the Council to pardon you, and even talked me into not killing you dead as you walk past the city gates. I'll be quite content with the lands of House Shirokane, so I needn't be greedy to want yours as well."_

"_You'll have nothing," said Rinko, defiant. She was slapped in the face for her words._

"_Mayhaps _you_, too, should have been gagged. I must admit, there is something quite enjoyable about seeing you brought low. Rinko Shirokane, scion of a great House, so convinced of her superiority over all others that she has never set foot outside of her lands, has never paid tribute to the Rose Council… There might have been a time where your Houses held power, but now it is Falterstadt that reigns this country. You'd do well to remember that. Shackled, you are the same as this false queen you follow: a child playing at war."_

"_My lord, I don't mean to hasten you when you are enjoying your victory," said Lady Hikawa, "but I wish to meet with the Rose Council. I don't intend to leave Falterstadt without a letter of pardon."_

"_Of course, of course. They are gathered at the Rosenturm, waiting for you. They have plenty to ask of you, but you must have expected-"_

"_I have, yes," Sayo said, stepping towards Yukina. "Thank you, my lord. You have been of great assistance."_

_She pulled out the cloth stuffed inside Yukina's mouth; none of the soldiers around had the time to respond, for as soon as she could speak, Yukina began to sing, unleashing the full power of her Voice, which not even Rinko had known before. An entrancing song, forceful and overpowering. It filled the streets of Falterstadt, and Hiromachi's soldiers were fully entranced by it. The man atop the horses pulling the carriage rose to his feet, drawing a sword, but Sayo just waved her hand and a long red line split his throat open, and, clutching it as blood poured between his fingers, he fell to his knees. Another motion from Sayo made shards of the shackles holding Rinko prisoner, and when she raised her hand to the skies, the sounds of confusion and resistance were all silenced, leaving only Yukina's Voice to resound._

"_You are naive and weak," Sayo told Hiromachi, his hands flimsily trying to cover his ears. Sayo pulled his hands away. "As is your council. Lady Hanayagi deceived you. Lady Yumeoji was willingly taken captive. I have no quarrel against you, Captain Hiromachi, save for my disgust, and I would have liked to use you in the future, but you should not have touched Lady Shirokane. Lady Minato, please."_

_Yukina extended her hand, commanding. Now her Voice lingered in the air even though her mouth was closed, and where she pointed, the soldiers of Falterstadt moved towards. Some succumbed more easily to her Voice, while others still struggled against her, their fearful eyes showing they did not want to move to her orders, their steps taken with great difficulty, and some even cried, screamed in pain and terror, trying to say something, but their words came out as nonsense._

_They circled their commander, raised their spears high, then they all fell at once, piercing through his limbs. A spear entered through his palm and ran through his arm, twisting it and forcing out fragments of bone, then others skewered his legs, and at last he was lifted by a spear that was shoved between his legs and jutted out through his open mouth. He continued to twitch, pained, and was left there, impaled._

"_Forgive me, Lady Shirokane," Sayo touched her cheek tenderly, disregarding the horrible scene right next to her. "I had not expected you would have had to endure this treatment."_

"_It's not your fault," Rinko said meekly. "Shall we meet up with Lady Hanayagi?"_

"_Indeed," Yukina said, finally removing her blindfold. Her eyes were as restrained as Rinko had always known them to be. "She is to meet us at Wurzeln Plaza with a small force of her own, to join with the ones we have been so graciously gifted. They shall be enough to quell any resistance we may face in the coming days, and to keep the peace."_

_With hollow eyes, their newly-acquired troops led the way, marching north through the city's main road, passing by the populace still scattered around the streets, because, without a siege, no bells sounded to warn the citizens of Falterstadt that they were to seek cover. They scurried away, and if Yukina even took notice of their existence, she did not show it. There were no screams and there was no commotion; all around Lady Hikawa, silence followed her, so no alarms were rung and if any soldiers of the city watch dared approach, Yukina needed only direct her Voice of Domination to acquire their wills and join them to her numbers. The citizenry, however, had no such use, and as such was simply allowed to flee and to return to their homes. Rinko couldn't help but think of mice retreating back into their holes._

_And the great Rosenturm rose high above all else in Falterstadt, that hideous spire of stone bricks that were once white, but were now black with the soot and ashes of all the times Falterstadt was wracked by great fires. A cursed city, some whispered, where the dead outnumbered the living by ten, the graves filled with the bones of multiple people, for lack of more space to bury them._

_Armed men greeted them as they neared the heart of Falterstadt, where hovels gave way to manors and spacious gardens, though withered. Lady Hanayagi's men bore blades red with blood, and dragged men, women and children out of their houses. Nobles, all of them, though Rinko knew few of their names. Their guards lay dead on the rare patches of grass remaining, and Hanayagi's men filled their carts with the wealth of these nobles._

"_The traitor's daughter," a nobleman spat at Yukina's feet, "and a traitor greater still. You cannot hold Falterstadt. It is folly. You will fail as your father did. I warned them not to trust Hikawa. I warned them not to meet you, that you are undeserving of a pardon."_

"_I have learned from my father's mistakes, my lord," Yukina said, looking down at him. "There is but one way to take power."_

_She gave Hanayagi a nod, and she gleefully cut open the man's throat, and the screams of his family were silenced a moment later. _

"_Leave none alive to seek vengeance," Yukina commanded. "As for Rosenturm… Yumeoji, I trust you were successful?"_

"_My agents sowed terror in Falterstadt long enough to allow me to complete my work undisturbed. There are tunnels leading out of Rosenturm, and they stretch on for miles and miles. Ancient pathways built long ago, long before the first fire that claimed Falterstadt thousands of years ago. It is the city's spine, and the passages lead to catacombs, to hidden vaults, to underground rivers. But they all converge towards one exit: a discrete and humble hole on the ground, next to an unassuming house in the fishers' district. A poor, miserable place, but it's the Rose Council's hope of escape should the city come under siege."_

"_Oh?" Kaoruko smiled. "It appears you've been busier than I expected, Lady Yumeoji. What exactly is this work of yours, hmm?"_

"_Runes," Fumi explained. "Writ with the dust of Melodies, inscribed upon the walls of the dark passageways. A most dreadful song of fire and death, created by Lady Minato herself. The dirge of the Rose Council."_

"_And all the poor fishermen and their sad little families who happened to build their hovels on top of these ancient tunnels, heh," Kaoruko giggled. "How heartless. I'm surprised Lady Hikawa approved of that plot."_

"_Needless killing is to be avoided," said Sayo, "but no triumph has ever been won without treading upon the bones of the weak. Lady Shirokane, Lady Minato. I am ready to begin."_

_The overpowering aura of silence that surrounded them was gone, and already Rinko felt free, and the distant sounds of the city became clearer by the instant. But that was not what she was looking for. Closing her eyes, Rinko sought the music of Falterstadt, the silenced Melodies buried beneath the earth, just waiting for someone to breathe life into them. A spark of red illuminated the darkness of her shut eyes, and in its colors she saw the old language of music, the one that the Silence had stolen from them but that they had deciphered anyway. The fortissimos pulsed with a fire of their own, while the clefs turned brighter as Rinko focused on them, feeling their concealed energy._

_And then she reached the song. Her fingers moved to the tune of the Melody, their motions weaving magic into reality, and in the darkness, a long line of red ran towards the heart of Falterstadt, where the Rosenturm dared to reach the skies. She felt the life inside the tower, but only for an instant. After that, she felt only fire._

_Yukina's Voice filled all of Falterstadt, and Sayo and Rinko's music accompanied it. A slow, funereal sound grew louder by the second, gradually becoming faster, more forceful, and Rinko felt so intoxicated by the power of this music that she couldn't even make out the words Yukina shouted, but its overwhelming might made her shiver, and her legs trembled just as the earth shook after the runes glew one last time, and fire consumed all the tunnels, the blast leading them to collapse on themselves._

_She opened her eyes again. The song had turned silent; it was replaced by a distant, rumbling sound, and then, far away, screams. A line of destruction cut through Falterstadt, but Rinko could only see the rising smoke and dust, coming closer and closer to Rosenturm._

_It was almost surreal to see something so immense begin to fall, folding on itself layer by layer, floor by floor. It was at the same time too fast and too slow, and soon Rosenturm disappeared beneath the dust of its own ruination. It rose to the clear sky, covering the sun, and the gusts soon turned all of Falterstadt white and brown._

_Exhausted, Rinko fell onto Lady Hikawa's arms. Fumi congratulated Yukina, Kaoruko admired the destruction that fell upon the Rose Council, but Lady Minato herself said nothing. She stared at the sky long after there was nothing to see, until she finally turned back to Rinko and Sayo, and allowed herself to smile for a moment, savoring her triumph._

* * *

Ran slipped out of the queen's bed, sore in all the ways she liked best, and while Yukina modestly covered herself underneath her blankets, Ran reached eagerly for the glass of wine left on the bedside table. She poured a cup for the queen, just a little bit, and took the larger cup for herself. Such a strong scent, and intoxicating. Though her body was buffeted by cold winds blowing through the open window, the strong wine kept her warm. The passion, too, helped a lot.

"Are you drinking again?" Yukina mumbled. "It is a fine vintage, but how much have you had tonight…?"

"Not enough," said Ran, offering a cup to Yukina, who waved it away, wishing to save it for later. Ran was just fine with that. "This is more than a fine vintage, you know," she said, rising to her feet. She felt the cold stone beneath her soles, and wondered how it was that Yukina could live like this, with no hearths ablaze to get her through the cold nights of the Rosenreich. Growing up, Ran had learned to light her own fires, so that she would not depend on a servant when she was cold. "I acquired it from the reserves of House Miyashita. They're famed for their wines. Well, they _were _famed, once, heh."

"Acquired?" Yukina asked. "Bladepoint acquisition, I take it?"

"How else?" Ran asked, walking towards the open window. She looked down on all of Dornengarten in the dark, making out only vague, small shadows by the glow of torchlight far below. "Lady Ai could not defend her lands, her own castle. What rights did she have, then, to own them?"

"None," nothing made the queen smile as much as the prospect of conquests. "Birthrights and blood oaths are but the beautiful gildings placed upon the true structures of power. Elegant, glimmering… Yet only fools have ever worn gold to battle. It is poor armor compared to steel. Is this why you are so fond of this wine, then? _For no seasoning has ever been quite as delectable as the lick of fire and burning winds_."

"Poetry?" Ran half-remembered the words. Her father wanted her to learn the belletrist's craft, and she had a gift for it, in truth, but spite always kept her from pursuing these arts any further. "Those words are true enough. There is a beauty to strife, wouldn't you say?"

"No," Yukina rose, the falling blankets revealing her slender form, pale skin almost flawless, blemished only by the red lines raked by Ran's nails. Underneath her breast, right above her left knee, close to the neck… Ran looked down to see her own skin, imperfect and rough compared to the queen's, but Yukina's claws left subtler marks, for her grip was flimsy and her strength dwarfed by Ran. "There is beauty to victory. Through war and battle we earn it, but they are tools, and what is ever winsome in a tool? Come."

Ran could not deny the queen, a fact that never failed to make her grit her teeth. There was warmth in sharing a bed with Yukina, but never for long. She spoke in commanding tones, and Ran had no choice but to obey. Ran walked up towards the left side of the bed, where Yukina now sat, her eyes arrogant even as they looked up at Ran. She fell on her knees, as it pleased her queen.

"Do you share your companions' qualms with my choice of allies?" The question was sudden, as Minato liked it: she wielded words masterfully, and her preferred move was to weave traps with them, quickly demanding answers, leaving no time to ponder _what _exactly was the right response. And there always _was _a right response. Defiance and debates were loathsome to her.

"You mean the Mad Queen," Ran said, and watched Yukina's expression, but saw no shift there. The years taught her to interpret the slightest movement of her visage, but Minato remained an enigma. "One could name it a reckless, desperate decision. Tsurumaki is not trustworthy, your own princesses would have told you. I am not trustworthy either, however," this drew a smile from the queen. "And here I am. Trust means a great deal to me, but less to you. A queen cannot trust as freely as a mere captain."

"Mere?" Yukina rolled her eyes. "You bore me when you're obsequious like that. Your fire, Mitake, I long to taste it. Trust… Yes, I don't trust you, and I don't trust Queen Tsurumaki. Do you trust me?"

"Only as much as I must."

Slowly, deliberately, Yukina lifted her leg to the air, then placed her foot on Ran's face. She did not protest; it brought the queen pleasure to dominate, and to bring to her knees a woman who could so easily be her enemy… That was her weakness, it always had been.

"All my promises to you I will fulfill, because all you ask of me you will _take_," she said, her tongue heavy with something that Ran could almost mistake for satisfaction. "The weak trust, for they depend on it. Their heart's desire is out of their grasp. I trust no one, not even my allies; if they betray me, then I will crush them," as she said that, she pressed her heel against Ran's forehead. "What I cannot have, however, is dissension. The whispers about the Mad Queen… Doubt her as you will, but never doubt me, my word. I have chosen my allies not because I trust them, no, not for anything as childish as that, but because they deserve to stand by my side."

Ran took hold of Yukina's bare legs, and spread them. Slowly she rose, towering over the queen, and when she descended on her, that small thing, she pinned Minato against the bed, and when their bodies were touching, her tongue tasted her immaculate skin, biting at her neck, her ears. All the while, Yukina closed her eyes, and smiled.

"Should I name that pride or arrogance?" Ran whispered. "Or foolishness, even? How can anyone stand by a queen's side?"

"The same way one can lay on top of her," Yukina's hand darted up to grab Ran's hair, pulling on it to bring her face closer. Black locks fell down on Yukina's ivory skin, whilst the strands of crimson stood beside the reddened marks on her chest. "If I could control you, if I could control Tsurumaki, then I would have done so already. If you had the trappings of a slave, then, I would have shackled you already. And yet, what use would you be to me, then? A slave cannot please me, a slave cannot fight by my side, a slave cannot offer me anything. I don't need a weak, worthless ally."

"It's unlike you to flatter me," Ran smiled. "And Tsurumaki…? Is she warming your bed as well?"

"I don't desire her," Yukina said casually. "She is, however, one I would fight alongside. Shirasagi, Tamade… False queens, and Coloratus and Suilen are false realms. By what right do they rule? Birth? Worthless. Queen Tsurumaki is gifted with the Voice, as are the two of us. The world is ours. The other women, the ones born to peasantry, lack the means to claim power, even if happenstance granted them Voices of their own."

"Maruyama and Toyama?" Ran had met Kasumi Toyama but once, and Aya Maruyama was only the subject of whispers.

"I could use Toyama, perhaps," Yukina shrugged. "But despite their magical gifts, with no armies of their own, they can do nothing. As I said, the world is _ours_. Mine, yours, Tsurumaki's. The two false queens that stand in our way are nothing. Gnats to be crushed underneath our boots. They don't even merit discussion."

"The armies they command, however, do," Ran put a finger into her queen's mouth. Something displeased Yukina; the words or the deed, perhaps? "We've no choice but to face them, so they are no impediment, you say… Unless we are to lose."

"Are you afraid?" Yukina's fingers grabbed the back of her head, and she forced Ran's face against her chest. Whatever she said next turned into a moan as Ran felt the queen's breast on her lips, her tongue. "We have been defeated once, and know the bitter taste of failure. So I don't blame you for your fear. And yet… What stands before us but numbers? Overwhelming they might be, far greater than ours, but only numbers all the same. Numbers don't win wars. We will prevail. Now, there is another matter…"

_Another?_ Ran couldn't help but think that Yukina must understand little about lovemaking, to talk so much. Ran laid on her back again, next to her lover, and looked towards the white ceiling, only hearing the queen's words.

"Udagawa needs better discipline," she said. "If her temper flares again when it comes the time for her to follow orders, what ruin can she bring us, as she did during your rebellion, hm? War hounds have their uses, but not when they are set upon their own masters."

"You cannot control everything and everyone in the world," Ran retorted. "Tomoe's will is what makes her a fierce fighter. Her rage makes her deadly."

"I _can_," Yukina declared. "And I _will_. Chaos and disorder are unacceptable. Leave those for your personal life. The Rosenreich needs order, perfection, obedience. You have potential, Mitake, but your lieutenants… Princess Sayo has some kind words about Lady Hazawa, but the others… See that they are warned of the consequences of their lesser impulses. The next time they cross one of my allies, they will not eat with the hounds, but will be fed to them."

"I will tell them," said Ran. "I will try and make them obey, but-"

"I did not order you to _try_," Yukina grabbed her by the arm and pulled her on top of her, their naked bodies pressed on one another. There was no position she liked best, none more suited for being served.

"I understand, my queen."

Ran lowered herself, and her fingers encroached on Yukina's throat, her neck so small and fragile, a weak, scrawny thing… Ran pressed her thumbs down on it as the queen closed her eyes, and she started biting down on her.


	16. The Devoted

As her mare trotted through Hanasakigawa, Reona inspected the assembled populace, two long lines of men and women of fighting age, their elders and children left watching in the distance, from inside their homes. Somehow, their gazes seemed fiercer than the ones closer to Reona. _Hateful_, she thought, and could not blame them. She was here to take away their brothers and sisters, their fathers and mothers, their sons and daughters.

"This war you are dragging them to is not theirs," Tae Hanazono had said upon Reona's arrival. "This was not the agreement. They did not flee from the horrors beyond the Rift so they could die here."

"It is the queen's command," was all Reona had to say in response. Her own words were not enough to sway anyone. It was the queen's authority that made her anything at all. "Tateshiro must be retaken, and the borders defended. It is for the sake of Suilen. _All _of Suilen."

She did not find the populace any more receptive than the first time she had been here, but at least they listened to Kasumi and Rei's orders when called upon to stand before Lady Nyubara. She counted, in all, one hundred and fourteen apt combatants, of whom eighty-two were afflicted with Melomania. They would find the drums of war a rather unpleasant rhythm compared to Kasumi's Voice, but Rei assured her that they were quite stable, unlikely to lose their reason in the midst of battle. Reona misliked that it was only _unlikely _and not _impossible_, but that was the price to be paid to count upon Melomaniacs in their ranks. Some would need armor and arms adapted to their needs, to their tails and overlong arms, to their extra limbs or misshapen torsos, but though Reona had been startled upon first seeing them, she found that she was growing used to the sight of them, and it was true that they were far closer to humans than to beasts.

She cringed at the thought of beasts. _Out, vile memories, _she told herself, _out_. She ordered her soldiers to bring forth their wagons filled with armor and weapons, and watched as the people of Hanasakigawa got properly outfitted. Fine armor such as this could make anyone seem like a seasoned soldier, and though it was certainly not a band of warriors that stood before Reona, none who had been beyond the Rift were truly strangers to battle. They would require some training as they marched towards Tateshiro, mainly so they could grow accustomed to the tactics they would employ. That alone would already make them the elite of Suilen's armies, for they were mostly peasants conscripted in mass; Queen Tamade had made her kingdom's population into its strength.

"I take it that we're to play a part as well?" Saya approached her as the rest of the populace got used to their new equipment. "You might not want to put a baker on the frontlines."

"As if you are a mere baker," Reona retorted. "Come, we all know of your martial skills. Who else would have survived all you've been through?"

"Do not speak to me of what I have survived," Saya's temper flared, something Reona never judged possible. "I will fight if I must. For my friends, my kin, and for my country. You promise safety for my siblings at Haneoka?"

"I swear," she said. "No harm shall ever befall them. We shan't lose, of course, but if we do… They will be sent elsewhere. Not that Haneoka would ever be sacked. But there is no harm in leaving such orders as a precaution."

"Thank you," said Saya. The assurance seemed to put her at ease, but Reona still saw the distaste in her eyes, though it lasted but an instant. "Our last harvest was plentiful; Hanasakigawa won't lack for supplies in our absence. Will its stocks be supplying the armies as well?"

"It is not expected to be necessary, no," said Reona. "With the populace drafted into the forces, it would be too destabilizing to also claim the harvests. Our queen does not wish to win this war only to see her realm collapse in the following peace."

"It is good that while she is not opposed to sending the people to die, she means to preserve the kingdom's stockpiles. I pray we have a strategy beyond overwhelming the Rosenreich with our numbers?"

"Of course we do," Reona tried not to get too offended. "I'm commanding the troops headed to Tateshiro, and I assure you that I've no intention to suffer great losses. Lady Ushigome will have command of Hanasakigawa's soldiers, too. Your friend, at least, I hope you can trust."

"My apologies. I did not wish to cast doubts on your leadership. No war is ever free of loss. But we have paid a heavy toll to come this far. I've no desire to return with the news that all the children here are now orphaned, to see that Hanasakigawa has become and shall remain empty."

"You won't," Reona promised. "I appreciate your support, Saya, truly. Your presence on the battlefield will provide a great deal of motivation to the troops. Your friends as well. Queen Chiyu is too proud to admit it, but she's happy to have you all on her side. Even with Countess Ichigaya's departure, she is grateful that women of your talents and experience have chosen to back her."

"She offered them a home," Saya looked at the folk assembled before her, outfitted in their armors, taking up arms. "For that, I will fight for her until the end, though it pains me to lead the people here to war alongside us. But so be it. No war has ever spared the innocent. I will gather my belongings and prepare to ride east."

Nodding, Reona left Saya to deal with her own matters; as one of Hanasakigawa's cooks, the village depended on her quite a lot, so she would have to prepare her successors. Reona watched her own knights perform some basic exercises with the populace, who after some initial clumsiness began to follow the instructions competently. If they had survived beyond the Rift, they were no strangers to adversity. Satisfied with their progress, Reona sought Lady Ushigome, and found her alongside Kasumi, Tae, and the two Melomaniacs, Rei and Rina. Lady Asahi was nowhere to be found, and her handmaid was elsewhere as well.

"Lady Ushigome," Reona bowed before her, to Rimi's embarrassment. Reona was a noble herself, or at least the name Nyubara still had some value in Suilen, but with no lands, no retainers and no possessions, she preferred not to act the part of the duchess she should be. "I was looking for you. Hanasakigawa's soldiers will be under your command, as you remain Countess Ushigome in your sister's absence. I've no doubt you'll make her proud."

"I thought you would lead the armies?" Rina asked. She was so small that Reona had been shocked to learn that she was in her twenties as well. Somehow she had managed to fit her mask inside her helmet, but Reona could already tell that it would be a struggle to remove it.

"I will lead twenty thousand towards Tateshiro," Reona said. "Though a significant part of those will remain as reserves. Our numbers eclipse the Rosenreich's, but to simply throw soldiers at one another is folly, so instead I plan on using our numerical superiority to tire out our enemies. When our armies meet in battle, the wounded and exhausted will retreat to be replaced by fresh and eager troops. The Rosenreich cannot afford to back down, but we can."

"Better than marching into the jaws of death," said Rei. "Now I understand why I hear so much praise about you."

"You flatter me, Lady Rei," Reona curtsied, obsequious. "I am but a servant of Queen Chiyu, and will win her victory at all costs. Fools tend to misunderstand the meaning of _at all costs _and instead of cleverness they rely on recklessness. This is why the Rosenreich cannot win."

"Thank you, Reona," said Kasumi. "What else should we expect in the coming weeks?"

"We will send troops north, to defend against Reverie," Reona explained. "Lady Minami cannot lead her armies into battle, but Lady Sonoda of Coloratus is her good friend and they will join forces to guard Coloratus, while Lady Isurugi will hold Seisho, securing our and our allies' northern borders. Duchess Tendo will spearhead an offensive into the Rosenreich, dividing their focus and stretching their already strained numbers. The Rosenreich will fight until the end, no doubt about that, but the Mad Queen may well abandon her allies once there's no hope for victory. Or she might not. She's not right in the head, so including her in any equation is pointless."

"We'll win," said Tae, suddenly very thoughtful and serious. "I saw it in a dream."

"I thought Kasumi had the gift of prophecy…?"

"I didn't say I prophesied anything," Tae responded. "I said I saw it in a dream. My dreams, like rabbits, are wrong only half the time. The other half, it's just hard to tell what they mean, but I know we're winning."

"Thank you, Tae," Reona put a hand on her shoulder. "I feel much more confident now. All the same, it is imperative that you ensure the soldiers perform their training each day. We shall begin marching soon, and Tateshiro is not so far from here. You'd best be prepared, and-"

"Wait!" A voice cried out from one of the houses at Hanasakigawa, and from it rushed out Lady Asahi, lightly armored and accompanied by her handmaid, clad in leather, a poor excuse for armor. "We will go too. Lady Nyubara, my family's troops have been summoned as well, no?"

"Yes, well…"

"Then allow me to lead them," said Rokka. "My father is in no condition to fight, what with his bad leg, and I'd rather he remained at Haneoka with the queen. I have lost Tateshiro, so allow me to reclaim it."

"I appreciate your determination, Lady Asahi," Reona spoke softly, "but we are not merely playing at war. You may have a small amount of training, but Asuka does not, if I'm not mistaken."

"I'll learn," Asuka said. "No peasant knows how to fight before they're given a spear and taught basic tactics. I don't see how it would be different with me."

"I cannot allow it, Asuka," her sister said. "You must remain here. It's safer."

"It is not your decision to make," she insisted. "I am sworn to Lady Asahi in every way. I have learned with her more than I'd ever known otherwise. She taught me letters and how to wield a pen, taught me numbers and how to take inventory. If I could have talked her out of this, I would have, but as I failed, I must follow her and keep her safe."

"Asuka…"

"Besides," she continued, "I have a sister to keep safe as well. Please, allow me this. War is frightening, but to stay here all alone, knowing all my friends are in grave danger… I know I would lose my mind with fear and worry."

"If you'll consent to obeying Lady Asahi and Lady Ushigome's authority," Reona relented, "then I cannot reject an able-bodied volunteer. Refer to the quartermaster for proper armor and instructions. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you to your business and prepare the marching orders."

She turned back, seeking to return to her horse. _I should have said no_, she thought, even though it was beyond her authority. Hanasakigawa was far from the first village she had visited to raise troops; indeed, Asuka was one of hundreds who had willingly decided to march with Suilen's soldiers. It was always difficult to separate families or to demand someone to take up arms when they seemed about to piss themselves in fear. To know that many volunteers would not return, despite the hopes that guided them to battle… Some dreamed of the riches of pillaging, even though those were, in truth, rare, while others truly felt they owed something to their homeland, or feared the notion of a conqueror's yoke. Others simply knew that a soldier ate better than a peasant, and, despite fearing a great many things, did not have to fear starvation.

Reona had never turned them down. Despite her guilt, she had never even considered it. So what was different now? Perhaps she had always been wrong, or she was wrong now to doubt Asuka's resolve. Duty's bonds always chafed, no matter how strong her devotion. She looked at Hanasakigawa all around her, peaceful and prosperous despite the odds. If the Rosenreich were to win, this village would not exist for long. Branded as inhumans, those called Melomaniacs would be killed like beasts, and all other villagers would be enslaved. To be put in chains or in a ditch… Reona shuddered at the thought.

But hers was not to think, hers was not to ponder on the nature of war and hers was not to reason why. Hers was but to…

She felt hollow. The thought did not hurt her or frighten her as it did once. She had since come to understand that she was a dead woman, a corpse gifted to a young queen. All the years she had lived since the fall of her House were given to her by her queen, so her life was Chiyu's, not her own. Her grace and mercy saved her and preserved her.

Kings and queens sentenced death upon their enemies, be it by the soldier's spear or the executioner's blade. But only a god gave life. Only a god was sovereign over years.

For her god, Reona would die. For her god, Reona would send anyone else to their death.

* * *

_Reona did not see who dug her out of her grave, just as she had not seen who had thrown her into it. She couldn't even call it her own grave, for a dozen other dead were piled underneath and around her. At first they stank of rot and of the fat white worms crawling inside them, but soon Reona could not even breathe at all, and the stench was gone._

_Her first breath of clear air ached her chest. She was pulled from the darkness of the crave to the blackness of a moonless night, then dragged through the dirt, her body so limp it was a wonder she wasn't thrown back with the corpses. She heard a girl's voice, and then heard nothing until she opened her eyes again._

_Awake, she tried to rise, but her strength failed her. Something reeked, and soon she realized it was her. Underneath her was soft and plump bedding, the white sheets spotted with red. To the left of the bed, a window was closed, and to the right a child sat on a wooden chair and watched over her, reading something by candlelight. Reona could not tell what time it was, and there was no sound in the room but the turning of pages and the flicker of candlefire._

"_Run," Reona tried to speak, to ask where she was, but her words defied her, so instead she repeated what she had yelled all night, before she was sent to join the dead. "Run…"_

"_Hm, you're awake," the girl said, setting the book aside. She seemed to disregard the stench entirely, and instead leaned closer to Reona. "Good, good. There's no need to run, however. This is Haneoka. It's safe here."_

"_Hane… Haneoka?" But that was so far away from Nyubara lands… "You are…?"_

"_Chiyu Tamade," she said. Reona blinked, then felt a stinging pain on her leg. "Easy. By all rights, you should be dead by now. You are still frail, so keep breathing and refrain from abrupt movements."_

"_My apologies. I… I ought to show more respect to a princess, that's all, but I cannot kneel right now-"_

"_A queen," Chiyu said. She didn't sound sad, only exhausted. As Reona began to see the world with clearer eyes once more, she saw that Chiyu's face looked as corpse-like as her own. She must not have slept in days. "It's fortunate that you recall who I am. That means you cling to humanity. No wonder, then, that you've survived. Do you remember yourself?"_

_Reona nodded fraily. She remembered her name, her family, her home. All but the name were gone now, and most of all she remembered the fiends who took everything from her. The fangs and blood and wings and tendrils, the crimson and the shrieks, the flesh and tendon and the crumbling walls. She had no time to comprehend the monsters that so suddenly appeared just as all music was silenced, so all those dreadful sights returned to her now._

"_What happened?" Reona asked. "Those… Those things, horrible things… Why did that happen to my home?"_

"_It happened everywhere," said Chiyu. "Even here in Haneoka. The castle and city have been secured once more, but by our counting, fifty thousand died, and that's not counting the thousands more who fell to the Silence's curse and were twisted from humanity."_

"_Ah," was all Reona could say. Despite her long slumber, she still felt too exhausted to feel anything at all. "There too. One moment, we were gathered to listen to a concerto. The next, all music was silenced. Someone screamed," her head began to hurt as she remembered that night. "I remember the movement and the colors. I remember running and screaming. I remember seeing my father bite off my mother's ear. I remember _something _slithering out from inside him, as though his tongue burst out with all his innards clinging behind in a trail of blood. And everywhere I saw the same."_

"_Again, easy," Chiyu placed a hand on her forehead. Her fingers were awfully cold. "Don't force yourself to remember. And don't try to remember what came before. A handmaid of mine took a dagger to her throat when she fell into despair trying to recall her past life. Only slivers remain. All was lost."_

"_All… All of it? Memory, music?" Chiyu shook her head. "What happened…?"_

"_I don't know," said the young queen. "I have not left Suilen yet. In truth, I have not been any farther from Nyubara lands. It's been a week since the Silence. Five days since I found you. I scoured the lands desperately seeking signs of enduring life. Most villages and towns have been wiped from existence entirely, and are now the nests of monsters as horrendous as the ones who claimed our parents."_

"_That means…" Reona shifted slightly, and caught a glimpse of a bright red wound on her side. "Two days… Was I buried for two days?"_

"_You might have been," said Chiyu, "but even if it was not for so long, your life is a miracle all the same. You should have been dead in hours. When I ordered my men to unearth you, the maggots were already eating at your dead flesh. I mean to have my loremaster replace the lost flesh with prosthetics. She promises you'll live. I hope she's right," Reona didn't respond. "You must be wondering how I found you. Well, the grave was not exactly discrete, but far more curious was the fact that it had been dug at all. I did not believe for an instant that the work was done by human hands, and in truth I soon came to learn that it was the work of a monster. Why? There seems to still be some reason within them, some humanity. The creature refused to let go of its shovel. Perhaps it felt some sense of duty… The rags it bore were those of a servant, or so it seemed."_

_Reona didn't know what to make of that - or of anything Chiyu had told her, for that matter. She just nodded, for her mind was not truly here, but elsewhere. Still in her grave, still in her ravaged castle. Though it was Chiyu who spoke to her by her side, her voice was nowhere near as real as Reona's mother shrieking and pleading._

"_How did I survive?"_

"_Mayhaps a miracle," Chiyu shrugged. "The temples of the castle had all been destroyed and the colors of the stained glass were swallowed by red. If it was a god who protected you, then he did not show similar kindness to the rest of your lands. No, I wouldn't call it a miracle. I sent my soldiers to… To cleanse the creatures that still roamed the castle. A dreadful thing, you see, for they were once as human as you and I, so it was not an order I gave lightly, but… But I don't know what to do, how to turn back what happened to them. So, in the depths of what was once an armory, my men found a higher concentration of monsters, as though that was their nest. They gathered in piles, and made no attempt to fight back when they were being put to the sword. No, they were enraptured by a small gem left on the floor. Only when my soldiers reached for it did the beasts stir. It was such a small thing, too, so easy to miss if not for the captivating song that emanated from it. Here," Chiyu reached into a small locker, and offered the jewel to Reona. She could not recognize it as any sort of gem she knew, thought there was a pleasant familiarity to its shape and warmth._

_And its song… Captivating was the right word. Soft as it was, the melody was quite hasty, as if rushing towards a climax that never came into being, but never did the intensity recede. Instead it only ever mounted, promising a conclusion that Reona wished to hear, but quickly understood would not occur. The song had no beginning, and no end._

"_The monsters desperately held on to it," said Chiyu, "as if it nourished them. Which it very well might have done. I took it with me, hoping to investigate it upon my return to Haneoka, but I could not. Its light guided me elsewhere, the song beckoned I made my way to the ample gardens. There I found a mound of dirt, a shovel, a fiend. And I sent my men to dig. I knew I would find something there; I did not expect, however, to find _someone_. Much less alive. You responded to the crystal, Reona. You reached out to it, but you were not a monster like the others."_

"_This… This thing… Did it save me?"_

"_My loremaster, Aijo, swears that it did. Further investigation will be required, but I already know the answer. Music was lost; save for this gem, there has been no song in these lands since the calamity. I cannot recall music, and my past is vague recollections. It's the same with all others. Music is magic, Aijo tells me, and I have to trust her because the old books in her library are all that remain of the past. If music is magic, then this music preserved you."_

"_Why?" Chiyu just shrugged. "I suppose it was nothing but happenstance. This magic…" She returned the crystal to Chiyu, closing her hand around the small gem. "I should be dead. I should not be alive now," she put a hand on her own chest, and felt her heart still beating._

_She remembered her grave, the worms that squirmed over her naked flesh. The corpses she was buried with weren't even whole, but butchered. Legs were piled next to her, entrails spilled over her. It didn't hurt while she was there, she remembered. It tickled. Reona started to laugh._

"_Lady Nyubara?" Chiyu rose to her feet, but Reona waved for her to sit still. "I should call Aijo…"_

"_No!" Reona continued to cackle. She still felt the worms. They weren't gone. She couldn't see them, but she knew they were there, and they were still eating at her. She ripped bandages from her left arm, and began to scratch herself, until Chiyu told her to stop. "You saved me. You saved me, my queen, my queen, my god, my love, my Chiyu… My life is yours. My life is yours. My life is yours."_

_She fell from the bed. Reona tried to rise to her knees, but there was no strength left in her. Frightened, Chiyu jumped away from her, and Reona would have begged forgiveness if her words could tear through her laughter._

"_I'm not alive," she said, still trying to rise, "I'm just your puppet, my queen. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for keeping me. Thank you for… Thank you… I want you to keep that. My life. My heart. They're yours. Yours forever and yours alone!"_

* * *

There was but one road to Argentum, one path to follow, but as Eve and her riders traveled north, they crossed paths with a great gathering of peasants moving south. They numbered nearly a hundred by Eve's counting, and carried their scarce belongings alongside them on carts and pack mules, the animals skinny and exhausted. When questioned, they reluctantly informed Eve that they fled from the revolts raging further north. Their hometown, Ad Pontes, saw itself taken by a band of rebels who gave them a choice: fight alongside them or be exiled. Their lady liege, Lady Tsuyuzaki, chose to open her gates and shelter the revolting peasants, thus sparing the populace from a sacking.

"Disconcerting," said Eve. By her side, Arisa and Masuki didn't seem to have anything to say. "Up until now, no Houses had surrendered to the revolt, so if Lady Tsuyuzaki believed she could not fight, they must have grown in strength…"

"They have, aye," a refugee explained. "They've grown bold now that there aren't enough soldiers to hang 'em all. The armies are marching east now, to fight alongside Suilen."

"I see," Eve tried to conceal her fears. "I bid you a safe journey, my good man."

If things continued like this, soon it would be difficult to journey at all. Wars always saw the banditry grow in number and in daring, and now would be no different. Eve herself should be leading troops south and east, to the borders with the Rosenreich, or perhaps north to dissuade Reverie's armies… But she could not defy her queen's commands, not when they pertained to Maya. Chisato might have had faith in her, once, but with Aya gone, the queen's nature returned to its old self, proud and cynical and, underneath the harsh exterior, fearful of everything.

And of course she could never abide the notion of Maya choosing Maruyama over her. That she would reject Chisato's vision and prefer instead to listen to Aya's promises… This the queen could not forgive, could not accept. She would sooner die than ever admit that she might have made a mistake in pushing Aya away.

Those were not the only travelers that crossed their path that day, for just before sunset Eve noticed some fires in the distance, their orange glow easy to mistake as being part of the sky's shifting colors. These were soldiers, however, not refugees; Eve recognized their banner as that of House Tojo, five red leaves making a wreath on a field of blue. They were eastbound, no doubt about that, and their numbers were greater than what Eve believed Lady Nozomi could muster. By the side of the road, three men were being hanged, and Eve soon learned that it was for the crime of hiding supplies that the armies of Coloratus would require in the coming war.

"Lady Tojo's orders, my Thegn," a soldier felt the need to justify himself upon seeing the distaste on Eve's face. "There are lessons that flogging cannot teach."

"Far be it from me to question her authority," Eve retorted, "for I have urgent business north, in Argentum. Queen Shirasagi's orders. If you would inform your lady of my arrival, or point me towards her tent, I would be most grateful."

The man did as he was asked, content to not see this turn into a discussion. Eve was outspoken about her belief that hanging the rebellious populace did nothing to smother resistance but instead convinced them that their lives were on the line, and they should thus fight more fiercely. Few shared her beliefs, however, and for this Eve remained frightened of what might happen to Coloratus when its armies were off to fight elsewhere, and what they might return to.

"Masuki, Lady Ichigaya," she turned to the two, who had ridden side by side since they departed Albio. "We are to continue our journey tomorrow, for today we have made good time. I will meet with Lady Nozomi Tojo and learn what I can: perhaps she has met Maya already."

"I doubt it," said Arisa. "You're just wasting your time. Still, send Lady Tojo my regards. I recall winning a rather full purse from her during the tournament at Seiran, wagering against her champion."

"I shall," Eve replied, though she felt she was being mocked. Still, she had to admit she was rather surprised to learn that Ichigaya had actually been conscious during the tournament, as from what Eve had heard, Arisa had spent all her time either sleeping or drinking. "Be sure to get some rest. If we continue to give chase come the morning, then we shall make greater haste."

"Right, right," Arisa shrugged. "Masuki, I think we should look for a drink. I believe we've earned it. What say you?"

"Really doubt a fine lady such as you would enjoy the kind of filth soldiers drink. Outside of great castles, ale tends to come with a fair amount of spittle."

"My dear, you know well enough that it's not the taste that matters. What matters is waking up with no recollection of the night before. Eve, what's the name of that filth you drink in Kotimaa? Vodka? You ever have some?"

"I don't partake," Eve did not appreciate the way Arisa spoke of Kotimaa. There was scorn in her voice.

"Hah! Now there's a fine woman, proper and serious. I hope Hanne is more fun than you. Now, Masuki," Arisa pompously curtsied, and with similar flourish Masuki took her hand, kissed it and escorted her fair lady towards some ale.

At least Arisa found someone to get along with. Eve disregarded the mockery. It would be unfitting of her to lose her patience over two fools attempting to get a reaction from her. Instead she sought Lady Tojo in the heart of the camp, past a dozen bonfires and soldiers arguing, gambling, eating. Eve hoped that she might find some useful answers now, and that she might return to her queen as quickly as possible: she was meant to be overseeing the defense of Coloratus, not to carry out the queen's retribution on a petty grudge.

She found Lady Tojo alone inside her tent, looking into the fires of a candelabra. Divination, perhaps, Eve wondered? She coughed softly to call Nozomi's attention. As the queen's emissary, she did not need permission to enter, for she spoke with Chisato's authority, but precisely because of that she judged it even more important to be courteous.

"My lady Thegn," Nozomi turned to face her, and set the candelabra aside. "You've come unannounced, so I fear I can only offer you a poor reception. Do you bear orders from Queen Shirasagi? Barring any sudden unfavorable weather, we are ready to march and reinforce Suilen, though thus far I've heard little from them, so coordinating may be difficult…"

"No orders," Eve explained, and accepted the seat offered to her, but rejected the wine. She was glad, then, when Nozomi poured her some tea, a far more agreeable drink. "I am not acting as general of Coloratus's forces now, I'm afraid, for another urgent matter has been assigned to me. It's Maruyama and Yamato. I am to escort them back to Albioturris, for they acted without our queen's leave."

Well, one of them acted. Aya and Misaki were free to get themselves killed, but Chisato wanted Maya close to her, always. Eve saw that more as the queen's pity than love, but even if Chisato doubted Maya's abilities, Eve did not.

"It is nothing too serious, I assure you," said Eve. "But they may endanger themselves, so I was sent to their rescue. They left not long before us, so you may have stumbled upon them."

"I wish I could give you good news," said Lady Tojo, "but if they crossed paths with my troops, then they were discrete and moved on. I would have recognized Maruyama, I assure you. We used to have some very pleasant and interesting conversations, years ago… I'm happy to hear that she has returned from her self-imposed exile, and pray you find her before any harm comes to her. Is there any other assistance I can offer you? Well-rested horses, perhaps?"

"That's very kind of you," said Eve. She doubted Masuki would ever part ways with Cherrywind, though. "But we'll be fine. I've no wish to disturb your preparations. You're going to Suilen, you told me. To reinforce the western borders, or the northern?"

"The north, according to Lady Nyubara," said Lady Tojo. "Our own borders are safer, thank the heavens, but Suilen's borders with Reverie and the Rosenreich are extremely extensive. The west, it appears, is where the fighting will be heaviest, so Suilen's northern defenses are sparse… And Lady Kitazawa knows that, of course. So my presence there, alongside Lady Sonoda, will be an unpleasant surprise to Reverie."

"Unless Reverie's general has unpleasant surprises of her own," Eve warned. "Kitazawa is no fool."

"Well, she _is _a bit of a fool, from what I hear."

"Not where it comes to martial matters. Reverie and the Rosenreich have postured as aggressors in the coming war, even though they're outnumbered. I know many see that as a sign of desperation, but it may be that they have no problems with that state of affairs. Lady Kitazawa certainly wouldn't: I'll remind you of the great victory she won against the Rosenreich during the Year of Blood."

"Lady Nyubara is just as gifted in war as Kitazawa," Tojo shrugged. "If Reverie's first offensive is repelled, the Rosenreich will be separated from their allies. It is a sound strategy, one we can afford due to our numerical superiority. My only concern is that the border between Reverie and Suilen is simply impossible to fully patrol. Still, not enough that an army could march by undetected."

_The same was believed in Coloratus_, Eve thought. Hagumi was not Kanon. It was folly to expect a similar victory. Lady Nyubara was clever enough, but her plans assumed a great deal of her enemies.

"I suppose we shall see, then," said Eve. "I hope you're correct, of course, you and Lady Reona both. Once this is over, I expect my queen will send me to defend our own lands from the Rosenreich. It may be some time before we meet again, and I pray that it is to celebrate victory."

"I know we'll meet again," said Nozomi. "I don't know how much value you give to fate, but I respect it, and my divinations show me that I've no reason to fear the adversities in front of me, for I will endure them and return home. We will return home victorious, Eve. Our best is good enough."

Eve just nodded, hoping Nozomi was right, and, after finishing her tea, politely bid her host farewell and good fortune. Suddenly, Eve was left with much to think about in addition to the many concerns she already had. It was unlikely that she'd have found Aya here, anyways. Eve was unsure she truly wanted to find her here: her queen's orders and her own heart were in disagreement now, for Eve knew she could trust Aya and Misaki to keep Maya safe, but she would not defy her queen's orders. How would Chisato feel if another of her confidants walked away from her, disobeyed her? Chisato saw everyone abandon her, saw conspiracies and threats everywhere, and though not all were real, most were. Eve loved Aya, but she loved Chisato as well, and would not leave her alone in her hour of need. Not with no one but Hina by her side, who was far too willing to support the queen's worst impulses if it meant she could be left undisturbed. Chisato needed better influences. Chisato needed Maya, Chisato needed Eve…

And Chisato needed Aya. Everything had started to go wrong when Aya left. Her return was a blessing, but Chisato closed her eyes to it. But Eve knew her queen well enough, had fought and lived by her side for years, and she understood that she would make the right choice, in the end, that it was pain and grief that blinded her, but that light could still reach her eyes and open them. But first they would have to be together again.

She found her riders resting on an isolated corner of House Tojo's huge camp, and they did not join the other feasting soldiers, preferring instead to tend to their horses, sharpen their weapons and watch the stars now sprinkled over the night sky… Eve gave a treat to her own horse, but as she stared at the makeshift stables, she realized something was wrong. She did not trouble herself to feign surprise.

Two horses were missing.


	17. Beyond the Gate

Though Aya had been warned not to expect a warm welcome at Argenturris, she had still hoped she would not have spears nearly touching her back when she was dragged to the sparring fields of the fortress to finally met Lady Lalafin Nonomiya, of whom she had heard a great deal, all of it proven wrong on first meeting. _Always bright and cheerful_, she once heard of Lady Nonomiya, but now she had a permanently dour expression - less due to any displeasure on her part and more due to the severe scarring around her mouth that kept her from smiling. Of course, the glass eye on the left socket didn't help much. All over her body the woman was a patchwork of scars and nasty wounds, and worse still was how her small stature made her appear almost child-like, in a way, though Aya knew her to be older than any of the three standing before her.

"That'll be enough," she said to her men. They had found the three riding just a few hours to the south of Argenturris, and immediately thought they looked suspicious, because anyone moving _towards_ the cursed city of Argentum was suspicious by default. "No need to point spears at madwomen who actually take the road north, eh? If anything you'd actually enjoy the sting on your backs, freaks that you are."

"Excuse me?" Aya interjected.

"I will not excuse you, no," Lalafin said. "Not until I'm done talking, at least. See, you must have a taste for pain to actually come to Argentum, which I find deeply disrespectful considering how much I have bled to keep the fucking city closed off, and my men as well. Now, I cannot possibly imagine there's anyone in this forsaken country that has not been informed of Queen Shirasagi's very strict and clear orders to stay the fuck away from Argentum, so I am left with no alternative but to conclude that the three of you, unable to find a man or woman to pleasure you in your degenerate pursuits, have come to the most dangerous place in the realm so as to suffer like the masochists you are."

"That's not-"

"Now, I understand that all those old flagellant religious orders have ceased to exist on account of the gods being fucking dead, but if it please you I can have a hundred lashes administered to each of you, and even give you the whip so you can go back home and beat yourselves bloody. Although you'll have to share, we only have a single whip here. I'm not insane, I don't keep instruments of torture handy."

"That won't be necessary, my lady," said Maya. "We are not here to, erm, taste the whip. In fact, we are not here to be tortured, maimed, wounded or otherwise harmed in any serious manner. We are here to enter Argentum and to locate a Melody hidden inside."

"Oh," Lalafin sat down, and her right eye stared into Aya's, but the glass one remained perfectly still. "Well, in that case, I'll have my men unlock the gates. In the meantime, let's enjoy some wine. Blueberry, that is."

"R-Really?" Aya had to ask. Lalafin's expression did little to reveal if she was serious or mocking.

"Of fucking course not. Are you daft? Gate's fucking barred, it'll take chains and a _lot _of horses to pull the fucking stones out."

"You do appear to have quite a few horses," Misaki pointed out. "You don't even have to follow us, you know. We understand it's dangerous there. Besides, it's the queen's orders-"

"_Fuck _the queen's orders," said Lalafin. "Is the queen here? No? Then unless you can provide me with a sealed letter saying I'm to head to Albio to get my head chopped off and given to children to play with, I remain the ultimate authority in Argentum and Argenturris, and if Queen Shirasagi herself in all her splendor were to tell me to make an effort to open the gates, I'd tell her to eat my shit and remind her that as Warden of the Walls, I give the orders here, and I know that if I were to open Argentum, after the work we put into closing the damn city, all manner of horrible beasties would flood out, swamp us and then swamp Coloratus before swamping the rest of the fucking continent. It is out of the question. Even for a Melody. Even if my sweet mother were to be delivered to the city by catapult and were to cry out for help I would weep and keep the gate sealed."

Aya could not possibly imagine any wording that would have made Lalafin's point any clearer, so she almost felt like a moron to continue to argue, but she knew all too well that nothing remained locked away forever, and that a day would come where everything that was barred in Argentum would break free.

"I am Aya Maruyama, bearer of the Voice of Peace," she said. "It is not lightly that I request access into Argentum. I know the toll that its defence has demanded of you. Hundreds have died ensuring it could be evacuated and sealed, and over the years hundreds more perished to keep the city barred. But the creatures inside still stir, this you must know. You must hear them, smell them, know their ravenous hunger and their incessant flailing and desperate desire to escape. If we allow them to breed, to fester, one day we will be overrun, and without the Melodies, we will lack the tool to repel our enemies. I can keep them at bay, let your men thin their ranks so that I may enter with my companions, then promptly return with the Melody. And then the gate may be sealed again."

"It is not so simple," said Lalafin, still serious, but she seemed to at least give the idea some consideration. "It is not a silent thing, breaking the barrier or constructing it, and the things are drawn to sound. It could be that your Voice may ease their assault and bring them to relent, but we know little of what remains inside. I don't have many men, and the ones I do have seen horrors. Horrors, I tell you," she pointed at her glass eye, "you will not find a man or woman in this tower that has not lost a piece of themselves in the fight against these monsters. Courage and heroism have been beaten out of us. I fear if I tell my soldiers that they must once again take up arms against the creatures, why, I fear they'll break, they'll flee, they'll slit my throat and then yours. Can your Voice grant them relief as well?"

"Often, when I was lost and afraid, full of doubts and worries, I would sing softly to myself, and find the strength to carry on. I have failed many times, faltered even more. And yet I am here. Above all else, it is that resolve that my Voice carries and shares. A peace born not out of apathy but of quiet determination and remembrance of why we were driven to fight when it would have been so much easier to die."

"That almost makes me want to grab my warhammer and go straight to battle," said Lalafin, and laughter came out of her mouth, but her face didn't laugh alongside her voice. "You seem confident enough, and I like that. I just don't like it enough to be careless. Should we fail and the creatures in Argentum escape, that will be yet another concern for Queen Shirasagi when she has to fight a war. And while I would very much love it if she were to let the other queens fight to the death while she guards her own realm, life, it seems, is not about what I desire."

"It won't come to that," Maya promised, though such an assurance didn't really mean much. "How long will your preparations take? Can we help in any way?"

"Your armored friend looks like she's strong enough to help my men move some of the heavier equipment. I'll have them assemble some of the spare espringals around the gap, arm them with some of the special bolts we've been hoarding for years… Now, getting skewered with a bolt the size of a horse is already enough to ruin your day, but I have a dozen or so whose tips are imbibed with an alchemical concoction made by Rosenreich chemists. A mechanism hidden inside unleashes the concoction in sprays when the bolt reaches its maximum velocity, and it promptly catches fire. Good for a scare, and the loud noise it makes might serve as a distraction, for a second. Or it might not. Matter of fact is I've never really used them in practice against those creatures."

"I've brought these," Maya said, reaching for a vial stored in one of her many pouches. The liquid inside was an unpleasant yellow, and Aya couldn't see it as anything but piss. "Extract of sun cornel mixed with the crushed bark of oaks, persimmon and eixant, all melted together in boiling saltwater. The substance has been known to be detested by monsters, though to us there's only a slight smell of, erm, manure. Because cow dung may or may not be an ingredient I didn't mention. Still, pour the liquid by the gap and it'll keep the monsters away for a while. Not for long, but long enough to mend the opening, if you do a hasty job."

"We have plenty of rocks," said Lalafin. "In fact, we have an abundance of them. We'll use them to cover the gap. Won't look pretty, but, then again, neither do the slobbering bastards the rocks will keep away. You know, I actually have a good feeling about this. When something turns out to be a bad idea, my arms always start itching, as if to warn me not to be a fucking moron. Of course, I never pay attention to the signs anyways. Aya Maruyama… I choose to trust you, believe in you. For too long have we been cowering and running from the battles that matter, throwing our lives away for territory or whatever it is the queens fight for… But I've seen what the Melodies can do, how they can heal our lands, our homes. I've longed to take a chance, a leap of faith, but never for a senseless cause, without a plan. Heroics without thought are just stupidity… But I'll not turn away a bearer of the Voice, not when she swears she knows what she's doing, when her eyes are bright with purpose and certainty… Aya Maruyama, Lady Yamato, erm, big armored woman… Consider my life yours. And my men, too, as I assume that's what you actually need."

* * *

_At night, Albio was an eerie, unwelcoming city, when all the lights were out and only a scarce few distant torches and candles continued to burn, and underneath a moon nearly swallowed by darkness, Aya looked for a way out of the city, far from the main roads, where she knew guards patrolled looking for vagrants, drunks and anyone who was foolish enough to disrespect the curfew laws. Aya figured that she likely had the authority to dismiss any guard who got in her way, for they would certainly recognize her, but she preferred not to chance it. To be detained in the middle of the night she departed this city, unnoticed by anyone in the palace… It would be shameful indeed._

_Near Albioturris, darkness was rare and precious, concealing Aya from any watchman's eyes. The gates at the inner walls were, of course, manned, but there the soldiers were most familiar with Aya, and simply waved at her as she passed them by, while she offered them a curt nod. They needed to know nothing, so Aya kept her silence. Once she was past them, she moved through the deserted streets undisturbed, with the exception of rats scurrying around and street dogs barking at her before growing bored and returning to sleep._

_The further she got from the palace, the fouler Albio smelled. Of the streams that ran through their city, only the rivers Tarvos and Papilio were not brown with mud and shit, and even they didn't smell particularly good. There the washerwomen of Albio toiled, and the city's largest wells drew their water. One of the most crowded regions of the city, it was nonetheless the path Aya chose to take, concluding that if her goal was to remain inconspicuous, it would be better if she did not smell like nightsoil._

_Aya never looked back. She knew Albioturris was not yet too distant, and even underneath night's shroud it still dominated the horizon. She did not wish to find out if her heart was strong enough to let her walk away, or if she would falter. _There is nothing there for me, _she told herself. Nothing but to watch the world stagnate while she remained safe behind thick walls, but never resting easy, for she had seen the world outside, and that was something she could never forget._

_By the bridge she crossed to get past the Tarvos, three guards passed by, so she waited out of sight, behind a locked box full of clothes to be washed, for them to pass her by. Fortunately, they did not pay any mind to their surroundings, and were instead fully immersed in their own conversation. One remarked he could do with a warm drink, for the nights were quickly growing cold, whilst a woman's voice replied by saying she would rather be abed. _Just a few more hours_, said the last one. The shadows shifted as the guards moved, the light of their torch moving with them. Soon, drowning in darkness once again, Aya crossed the bridge._

_Unlike all the other times she did so, however, she found an empty square, a most unusual sight, as here there were always gathered crowds, whether moving about the city, peddling their wares there - though they were supposed to do so specifically in the market district, the guards turned a blind eye to people just trying to make a living - or watching a spectacle or celebration funded by the crown. A large stage was set in the middle of the square, and Aya had fond memories of many a play she had watched with her friends. Even now, banners remained on the walls, and the cobblestones were still painted many colors. Only a week ago, the city had celebrated the yearly festival of sowing, the populace gathered to celebrate the last harvest and to pray in hopes that the coming winter would not be too unkind to the crops. Chisato had forced herself to attend the celebrations, but it had been plainly visible to all that she was miserable all the while, and the queen left at the first opportunity._

_When she at last reached the markets, Aya struggled to recognize them without their smells that she had grown used to. It had been a strong scent, one that Aya could never identify, as it had been a mixture of a hundred different smells, some foul and some fair, and some beyond her recognition. Spices and meats, cured leathers and clothes, all of those and much more, alongside their vendors and buyers, had filled the markets with life, with sounds and sights and warmth. Aya found herself regretting not purchasing her favorite bread before she left, the loaves baked by that young baker man and his many siblings… So much had occupied her mind that she totally failed to consider it, and realized then that there was much more she had not considered. Things and people she would miss, not only her beloved friends but acquaintances, faces she had come to know in the palace, even if sometimes she could not recall their names. It stung; Aya wondered if the pain would be at its strongest here, binding her to this place, or when she was long gone, overwhelmed by nostalgia._

_She saw one of the city's lesser gates unguarded, and knew better than to let herself be slowed down by recollections and doubts. She would have plenty of time for pain and longing later, when she could no longer turn back. High above, the guards at the walls had their sights set outside the city, so Aya found it easy to leave unseen, now that the gate guards were either preoccupied with something else, disregarding their duty out of boredom, or changing their shifts. As soon as she was out of the gates, Aya felt a chill. Cold winds indeed, and some would name that a bad omen._

_If Albio had been dark with its few remaining lights, outside it was pitch black: Coloratus' great losses in warring against the Rosenreich led to road patrols being dismissed, and the lights they kept shining along the roads were snuffed out. The cities and villages of the realm were like isolated islands now, the roads unsafe and ill-preserved. Though bandits were unlikely to be so bold as to pillage this close to the capital, Aya expected dark times ahead, until Coloratus could recover some of its manpower._

_Aya avoided the roads all the same. She hummed a tune, summoning the gentlest light she could conjure, enough only to keep her from tripping or stepping on something dangerous. But there was nothing, no life at all, around Albio. The coming cold saw all animals look for hiding places, and the ones that remained here would soon be hunted down for meat once winter thinned the harvests._

_When at last the sun was rising, Aya took the time to rest her back against a hedge, eating some of the salted pork she had brought with her from the palace's kitchens, and inspecting her supplies. Her sword, her bow, some arrows, food and coin, but not much else. Though she was in no way wealthy, being in the queen's service had allowed her to amass enough savings to be able to sustain herself as she traveled, for a time. _

_And then she looked back. From afar, Albio remained imposing, but Albioturris itself was small and distant. And yet it hurt to look at it. Aya's heart ached as she looked between west and east, between her old home and the sunrise she would follow. She thought of Maya, of Chisato, of Eve and Hina, and how they were likely to have just awakened, and she wondered if they had found Aya's empty quarters, if they had noticed she was gone, if they were still to realize it… It was not too late to turn back, she realized. She could say this was just a mistake, she could pretend it never happened, that she had merely been away all day. All would be normal, then, and no tears would be shed… For though Aya doubted Chisato and Hina would weep for her departure, she knew Maya and Eve would. That, above all else, wounded her deeply._

_Aya sang to herself. The peace she brought to others with her Voice did not fill her spirit, but she found herself numb, if nothing else, enough to pack her supplies and get up and prepare herself to follow the road. Her song reminded her of her past, not only of the bright times she had known with her friends, but, more importantly, _why _she had sought them in the first place._

_And why she had to move on._

* * *

She could not feel the chains around her wrists, though they scraped against the metal of her gauntlets, and Misaki felt oddly grateful for her unfeeling nature, because she figured that the strain of pulling out those huge stones at the gates of Argentum would be excruciating for a normal human. She even pitied the horses by her side, and couldn't help but feel a little pathetic to be working with beasts. But all help was appreciated, and her unique condition made her well suited for this sort of painful manual labor - regardless of how she felt about it.

Holes had been carved into the stone to allow the chains to be latched on to them, and there was just enough of an opening around the edges to allow the stone to be moved, with great difficulty. Misaki would have asked Lalafin how she had found a perfectly shaped gate-sized stone to close this hole, but with everyone around her looking so serious and concerned, she thought it better to keep her words to herself.

At Lady Nonomiya's command, Misaki began to pull, and as the horses began to whine all around her, she wondered if Queen Tsurumaki would have ever had her do something this humiliating. Somehow she felt the answer was _yes_, but it did not fill her with annoyance, displeasure, or any feeling at all save for a certain degree of confusion and curiosity. _It feels wrong to think of her as Queen Tsurumaki_, Misaki thought just as she felt the stone drag away behind her. They had shared a bed, once, if her recollections were correct - which, of course, Misaki couldn't be certain of, given how irregular and traumatic the remembering had been. But the name _Kokoro_ felt more appropriate, and with one last pull and a louder whine of the horses, Misaki said the name to herself, when none could hear. A feeling returned to her, the sensation of uttering the queen's name, and she felt her lips move, felt the shifting of her tongue and a certain warmth.

Soldiers with pickaxes struck at the rock to ease its passage, and when the gate was open at last, as small an opening as it may be, Misaki freed herself of the chains and reached for her greatsword, handed to her by Lady Lalafin's squire. She turned and faced the gap, and there she waited for a sign of life; though that word felt inappropriate to describe the monsters that Lalafin warned them about.

Five espringals were arranged in a half-circle in front of the gate; their sight brought back a recollection of Reverie and the scorpions deployed by its army, but there they were smaller and more numerous, and these were far larger, their bolts massive, fit for killing monsters, not people. Each required three soldiers to man, and Lalafin warned that they would be slow but powerful. Twenty more archers stood at the ready, while Lady Nonomiya herself led a dozen or so spearmen, their weaponry long and slender. Finally, palisades had been readied for quick deployment to further funnel any of the enemy's advances while not hindering the troops' own movement. As far as Misaki could tell, it seemed like a solid enough defense, all things considered, and their plan of engagement, formulated by Maya and Lalafin, inspired confidence.

But, of course, so did all plans before they went awry. Alongside Aya, Misaki approached the gap, weapon in hand. They were to lure the monsters towards the gate, keep them there and thin their numbers before retreating to allow the artillery and archers to fire a volley. Argentum, Lalafin explained, was far too infested with monsters to be cleansed by only a few dozen soldiers, but they could gain Aya and her allies a safer entry.

Beyond the gap, Argentum lay not in ruins as Misaki had expected, but eerily still and silent. The streets near the main gate were totally deserted, but the hovels stacked on top of one another were not: distantly, Misaki caught a glimpse of _something _stirring behind a window. Whatever it was, it was far detached from humanity. And before they came within view, Misaki heard their sounds, their footsteps and their slithering.

"Nock," Lalafin ordered, and the archers obeyed. Misaki, Aya and the spearmen made way for the marksmen as they readied to take aim. To their credit, they did not tremble. To fight alongside Aya, to rely on the Voice of Peace… It meant more to them that Misaki had expected.

A hound was the first to limp towards the main street. But no hound that Misaki knew ever had seven legs, almost a spider, and no hound had an eyeless face with two mouths, one left ajar with a long tongue being dragged along the cobblestones, blood trailing behind. It moved slowly towards the gate, and was soon joined by other monsters like it, though not quite the same. Some had more legs, others had fewer, others had only one mouth but many tongues, while others had mouths all over their bodies, and when they growled they sounded like countless packs howling all together in a fearsome cacophony. Aya whispered that she had not met such fiends during her journeys. The ones that came after these twisted hounds, however, were more familiar. Scalewolves, a common sight since the silence: vicious and lithe, they seemed to watch their prey, curiously regarding what they would do. No scalehound was the same as another, too: their scales jutted painfully out of their skin, and never fit quite right on their bodies, so tufts of bloodied fur always stuck from between their scales. And worms, too. Already Misaki saw the faces around her turn into grimaces at the stench.

"Draw," Lalafin said, patiently waiting for the creatures to come closer. The scalewolves were not so hasty, and neither were the hounds, but the beasts that followed them came running towards the gate, suddenly appearing from inside the abandoned houses. Long and serpentine, they were supported by long thin legs that seemed unable to sustain their weight. And, indeed, as they neared the gate, their legs snapped and broke, sending the creatures to the ground, but that did not keep them from crawling towards Lalafin's troops. Misaki looked to the side, and saw that Maya and the archers continued to wait for Lalafin's orders, even as their muscles began to strain from keeping their bows drawn. Misaki tightened her grip on her blade, while Sieg gleamed as Aya held it. "Loose."

Dozens of arrows pierced the air, skewering the serpentine aberrations, their long bodies bursting into bile that spilled all over the gap, yellow steam rising where they fell. Then, one by one the espringals let loose their massive bolts, and Aya heard a frightened yelp from a soldier who had not expected such speed and force. The bolts pierced through the hounds, and flames began to whirl around the tips, scaring away the survivors. Far away, however, the scalewolves remained undisturbed: as if identifying that the next volley would not come so quickly, they charged, and Misaki ran towards the gap with Aya, Lalafin, and the rest of the troops.

Lady Nonomiya was the first to meet the wolves in battle, her hammer loudly crushing bones as she sent one of the creatures flying towards the remains of the gate, the metal shredding its body. Aya and Misaki fought together, holding the gap as a dozen wolves tried to reach them. Misaki's sword nearly bisected a beast that tried to leap towards her, while Aya struck quickly, first cutting a red line on a wolf's belly, then another on its neck. But they were too many, far too many, and even Misaki found herself overwhelmed by the weight that suddenly fell upon her as wolves and hounds tried to get past her. Only when the spearmen extended their spears did some relief come: the weapons were placed between the three at the front line, and their length prevented any further advances from the monsters, who were promptly pierced when they approached. In time, they took some steps forwards, gaining some ground past the gate, and Misaki saw that, far away, more and more beasts were approaching, hundreds of them, perhaps. Lalafin gave them the order to fall back, and Misaki obeyed promptly.

Dozens of corpses remained just past the gap, another blockade for incoming monsters. Aya and Lalafin caught their breath, while spearmen gave each other javelins, tossed them at the coming horde, then moved away as Lalafin commanded the archers to nock once more. Now the waiting was brief, for another volley soon followed, the archers trying to do their best to slow the onslaught while new bolts were prepared. It was a lengthier process than Misaki felt was safe, and by the time the espringals let loose again, a mass of monstrosities swarmed past the corpses of their companions, barely slowing down.

There was no camaraderie there, and the beasts' claws tore at the flesh of their own kin as they piled on top of one another, trying to get through the gap. Aya sang, then, as Misaki and Lalafin took their positions by the broken gate, but her Voice meant very little to the creatures, already mad in their blood-seeking trance. Hissing, they were struck down as they reached the gap, and some were kept at bay by the long spears, but many of the beasts had no regard for their own lives and let the spears run through them, mindlessly charging until so many had died that their heavy corpses began to fall on Misaki, Lalafin and Aya.

Flames burst forth, spurred by the beat of an unseen drum; Maya's doing, her magic unleashed to burn the dead to cinders. They were like living things, the blazes, strands of red light that avoided Misaki, Aya and Lalafin, coalescing into a wall of fire just in front of them. Fiercely they burned, and the monsters trapped behind shrieked, stepped away from the heat, while the corpses were quickly made into ashes, and scattered into the wind. A brief respite, for after an instant the flames already began to die down, but that time was still enough to let the defenders retreat safely, discard their damaged weapons and quickly acquire new arms.

Misaki's own armor was battered and scratched, which of course she had not even felt in the midst of battle. She could not tell if she could even die, but was in no rush to find out. The damage inflicted on her was no so severe, but Lady Nonomiya's left arm bled profusely through the gaps in her armor's joints. She called for bandages, and even as her squire helped her remove her pauldron so that her arm could be treated properly, Lalafin continued to command her troops to prepare for another assault. The soldiers who saw their spears damaged replaced them with swords, and readied themselves to fight at the front now.

Through the fire rushed darkened blurs, fangs bared to meet Misaki. The first hound was nearly cleaved in half, but the ones that followed were not so courteous as to attack her one at a time, instead coming at the defenders in their dozens. They were fearless, too, and the sight of their kin being slashed, skewered and crushed did nothing to relent their assault. Misaki swung her sword from left to right, attempting to regain some ground for her allies; limbs and severed heads were scattered all around, some still twitching after death - if they were truly dead, which Misaki wasn't entirely certain of. Aya weaved a song alongside Maya, their sound full of urgency, flames and lights fighting to force the monsters back, but even as they burned and were blinded they continued to struggle, and their sheer numbers were too much to overcome.

A soldier fell with his face to the ground, and was promptly devoured by what had become a wave of horrendous creatures, deformed wolves and hounds, some small enough to almost get past the defenders by running between their legs, other large as horses, unbearably heavy. To remain there would be suicide: Misaki raised her hand to call Lalafin's attention, and promptly Lady Nonomiya ordered everyone to step back. All obeyed save for Misaki, who let the hounds pile up all over her to allow her companions to flee. She felt no pain, nothing at all, and her enemies' fangs were shattered as they tried to bite into her strong armor, but if she fell, she realized, she would not be able to get up. She had fallen to pieces in Albioturris, but here she doubted anyone could save her. Once she saw her allies had put some space between them and the incoming horde, Misaki turned back, her gauntleted fingers sinking into the eyes of a scalewolf that tried to wrap its tail around her neck. She threw him away, and retreated behind the palisades.

Lalafin threw the vial given to her by Maya. As explained, the monsters closest to the foul liquid writhed and fled, frightened and disgusted. Led by Maya, the archers continued to let loose volley after volley, but there were no more bolts for the espringals. Beyond the gate, however, the accursed creatures in Argentum seemingly had unending numbers among their ranks, though now that they could not advance any further, they had immediately started to fight among one another. Hound bit hound and wolves pounced on their equals and their lessers, and even after they died they were still ravaged by all fangs and talons around them until thick black blood had pooled up underneath them, and ran all the way to the line of foul liquid tossed by Lalafin…

Misaki only realized that blood's stench was unbearable when she saw Maya's nauseated face. This new smell overpowered the one that was meant to shield them, and soon beasts were pouring out of Argentum. All around her, there was only terror as Lalafin and her troops realized that they had failed in their singular duty.

A half-circle was their last line of defense, but a precarious one; only one soldier had to die for the beasts to find an opening, and there were simply not enough guards to maintain their position. Misaki did what she could, drawing the monsters' attention as well as she could, but the scalewolves soon found her metallic body to be unappetizing and instead preyed upon her companions. Blood was spilled all over Misaki's armor, and pained screams followed. The creatures did not wait for their food to die before they bit out pieces of their bodies, and in fact seemed to find pleasure in feasting on the fallen as they remained aware and alive. Misaki continued to swing her blade, but to no avail, as each beast she slew found two more to take its place.

They were soon the ones surrounded. Aya had given up on her Voice of Peace, for whenever she tried to sing she was assailed by snarling, drooling hounds. She fought them off remarkably well, whirling from one side to the other to meet each foe that came her way, slashing at their throats and heads with great precision, but even so this could not last. Here a soldier fell, there another, and soon Misaki saw the ranks of her allies thinned. And she could not see Maya, she realized… Lalafin fought on, and when her hammer was caught between a scalewolf's bones, she continued to wrestle against it with a dagger.

"A-Aya," Misaki heard Maya scream, and found her almost disappearing underneath the horde. Only her armor kept her from being devoured entirely, but she struggled to rise to her feet, and claws began to scratch at her face. She shrieked, calling Misaki's name, but after that her voice was muffled.

Misaki ran to her, tossing aside the monsters on her way. Something was crushed underneath her heavy boots, now painted black with the blood of the abominations she fought. Her greatsword cut a path towards Maya, and she grabbed her by the arm and lifted her up, but this was not yet salvation, for too many beasts remained around them. They began to climb Misaki's body, piling up on top of one another, and when their fangs neared Maya's throat, Misaki could not even move her arms, such was the weight of the monstrosities.

An arrow caught a hound in its face, and its tip opened as it met the monster's flesh, carving a hole into its skull and splitting its head open, the insides falling as the body went limp. But the arrow did not come from anywhere near Misaki… Two horses drew nearer, coming from the south: the first mounted by an archer, who let loose arrows with little hesitation or pause, and each found its target perfectly. The second was a familiar silhouette. Arisa.

Music filled everything, first coming from Arisa but then enveloping all that were fighting, a sound so powerful that Misaki could not imagine having ever heard such a song before. It was not like Aya's singing, peaceful and soft, nor was it like what Maya had conjured, for that had been a brief sound, while Arisa's fingers gave birth to a symphony as they motioned decisively yet gracefully, magical runes writ on air and turning into horns, into lutes, into a loud and dominant organ. Misaki stared in silent awe, as did Maya, all the soldiers fighting around, and even the monsters.

Where the soil was dead and barren a moment ago, there was now a fierce, powerful green, spreading before the gates of Argentum. The creatures began to hiss, but Arisa's music overpowered that hideous noise, and from the ground burst forth long vines. They wrapped around the monsters, squeezing them until their bones shattered and their bodies fell apart, held them by their limbs and tore them apart, forced themselves through their mouths, their eyes and ears, then exploded from the inside, leaving nothing behind but their innards, leaves and thorns. But they avoided Misaki and Maya, did not touch any of their allies, save to pull them away from danger and safeguard them. Though at first the sight was horrifying, from the vines bloomed gorgeous flowers of colors Misaki hadn't seen in years. There was no escape for the beasts, and when they tried to run, the vines simply chased them and their thorns made pieces of them.

When all was over, orchids, marigolds and roses bloomed atop a field of blood, red and black, corpses left nearly impossible to recognize. There was a sort of grotesque beauty to that sight, but more than admiration, Misaki felt relief. She let go of Maya, who still struggled to breathe, but smiled at the sight of their rescuers. Aya, meanwhile, was both ecstatic and baffled. She walked up to Misaki's side, and waited for Arisa and her companion to approach.

"I understood well enough that you were of a mind to do something foolish, but I didn't expect you to outright open the fucking gates of the city," Arisa didn't waste any time in reprehending Aya, not even waiting to confirm if it was indeed her idea. "Here I was, thinking my timing proved impeccable, but it seems it would have been better if I had come some minutes earlier. My apologies. I must admit that I am often late, far too late."

"Not _too _late," said Aya. "And yet… I did not know you had such gifts… This magic…!"

"Yes, well," Arisa dismounted, and when she was not atop her horse, looking down on others, it was hard for her to maintain her arrogantly superior demeanor, "there is more than a little that I failed to tell you. If not for Masuki," she pointed at the rider by her side, "I may not have come at all. So if you have thanks to give, she is the one who deserves them, not I."

"Lady Masuki?" Maya extended her hand to her, but when she realized it was filthy with blood, sweat and dirt, she gave up on that notion. "Does Queen Shirasagi know…?"

"Firstly, I'm not a lady," Masuki said, "and secondly, yes, Chisato knows… In a way."

"That is to say, Queen Chisato sent us alongside Eve to bring you back to Albio," Arisa explained. "Or, rather, to bring Maya back, for the queen disapproves of her departure."

"And Thegn Eve is nowhere to be seen," Lalafin remarked. "What am I to make of this…?"

"That the two of us are not here to escort anyone back to the capital," said Arisa. "We've come to retrieve the Melody. I should have left alongside you in the first place, in truth. Cowardice kept me from doing what was proper. It made me hold my tongue when there were things you should know, Aya. No more. I shall tell you all I know," she said, then turned to Masuki. "What _we _know. Though I'd love to rest, especially after that little display of magic has left me quite exhausted, we ought to make haste. Lady Nonomiya, correct?" Lalafin nodded. "We will trust you to hold this position. If Wakamiya should arrive, cooperate with her, but do not allow her entry into Argentum, or she and her troops will die. The five of us will be enough."

"That doesn't sound bloody likely," said Lalafin, "but, then again, you do sound very certain of yourself, and you saved our asses. Lady Arisa Ichigaya… So Maruyama did not know who you are, hm? You'll have quite the story to share."

"We'll share after we have the Melody," said Arisa, her voice commanding, like a true noble. Misaki considered questioning why she had hesitated for so long, but she felt that now was not the time. Now there was one thing they had to concern themselves with.

"Take good care of Cherrywind," Masuki said, caressing her horse one last time before handing the reins to Lalafin's squire. "Cherrywind likes to be brushed."

Arisa was the first to march forward, towards the gate, and the way she carried herself while doing so made it evident to Misaki that she had done this countless times before. And yet she had pretended to be entirely unremarkable, shied away from the fight to conceal herself as an alchemist…

"I'm glad you came, after all," said Misaki. "And I'm not saying that just because you saved us."

That did, of course, play a significant part in it.

"Yes, yes, well," Arisa looked away, embarrassed. "I can't let my fear prevent me from helping when I can. And you very clearly need help, and desperately. Save the relief and happiness for when we're out of this city, alright? There's still danger ahead, and as I've no intention of burying anyone, remain cautious. I know that display might have seemed impressive, but magic like that is quite taxing. Don't expect me to do it again."

"That's alright," said Maya. From the way she was grinning as they stepped past the gate, one would be excused if they found it unbelievable that she had been nearly eaten alive just minutes ago. The blood on her face was still fresh. "I was thinking, huhehe, well…" She took Aya's hand, and then, quite seriously, faced her, speaking to all her four companions but directly at Aya. "We're five again, Aya. It might not be the five we were used to, but we're five nonetheless, and complete once more. Let's go get that Melody."


	18. The Dark Heart of the Woods

Though she had braved many of them in the past, the sight of a dead city all in ruins was no less terrifying now to Arisa than it was years ago. It was the same horror of looking at a carcass and making out only the faintest traces of humanity that rot hadn't consumed: the recognition of a hand or a face amidst what had been reduced to a hunk of flesh, gruesome not only in the butchery but in the sheer _wrongness _of it. Amidst the ruins overgrown with vines and misshapen nature Arisa caught glimpses of tavern signs, hammers and anvils, copper coins scattered along the floor, empty mugs placed atop weather-worn tables. It was more than pure and utter desolation, for signs of lost lives remained in far more than just the bones that jutted out of the dark greenery like white thorns.

She concealed her shaking hand. For now, Argentum was eerily silent, many of its monstrous denizens slaughtered in the earlier battle, so Arisa could just follow Aya thoughtlessly, her mind always returning to frightening images that lingered there. The scattered bones she found here were like the ones that became part of the soil of the Deadlands; woven together as though they were fabrics, spines made for skeletal pathways where the old roads of Coloratus had disappeared underneath the barren, cracked soil. On and on they went, as though there was no end to that grotesque ossuary.

Underneath her boots she felt leaves twist and twigs and bones crack. Shards of glass, too, she soon noticed: as nature dominated this city, it spread its roots into empty buildings, and in time trees burst through the windows and rooftops. This growth was unnatural, too fast, as though all the death that happened here had fed this abundance of horrid life.

Night fell on them, voracious, the sudden darkness of a moonless sky. Though the sight of ruined Argentum swallowed by gloom was frightening, the dead city was in no way more dangerous than it had been before, for where the abominations called home the light could no longer make good on its promises of safety. Aya's soft humming gave life to a small orb of radiance that spun around the five of them, illuminating little but the path directly ahead of them.

Masuki's careful eyes found a path through a collapsed building, an old apothecary's laboratorium before it was destroyed. Small boxes of silver powder had been left by the entrance, an inscription just barely legible beneath the dust revealing that this silver came from Shirokane lands. Even now some herbs remained within vials or glass boxes; itchweed and gilliflower, tall nettle, savoury sage, rosemary and thyme. Even some scents lingered, familiar to Arisa: aqua regia and powders of all sorts, the unmistakable smell of the base components of sea fire. This Arisa found most concerning of all; sea fire was not supposed to be stored in urban areas such as these. Whoever ran this laboratorium had been a fool, and, despite all other worries she might have currently, Arisa could never suffer the sight of her own noble art so mishandled.

She forgot her anger at the sight of bones scattered by a cauldron. Skeletal fingers coiled around a black mass that could either be nigredo or ashes. The dead alchemist had been so savagely mauled that half of his bones had cracks or snapped in unnatural contortions. By his feet, the charred bones of beasts, and the scratch marks by his hands were too small to be the work of monsters. An agonizing death, slowly eaten alive before some fire finally put a stop to that misery. In the end, Arisa had to pity the poor soul. She could not muster the scorn for someone who had suffered so much.

Once they were back on the streets again, life moved around them, but paid them no mind. Warped creatures walked on their four legs, aimlessly, before finding a place in the darkness to fall asleep on. They roamed as though they were hurting, seeking some solace, and the glimpses Arisa caught of their faces took the breath from her, even after all she had seen: they were visages frozen in pained expressions, lips twisting into their mouths, keeping the beasts from closing them without ripping their own flesh with their fangs. Their heads were a disturbing mixture of lupine and bovine, with the prominent jaws of a predator and oversized noses that limited what their eyes could see. And perhaps this was for the better, because when the light hit their eyes just enough for Arisa to make out the details, she saw the frightened eyes of men and women, unblinking, unchanging.

Like all those of all the corpses she had seen in the Deadlands. Arisa reached into her belt, quivering hands taking hold of a wineskin. She drank it all in one gulp, and the warmth was enough to make her hands steady again, and for her to move forward, following Aya's lead and Masuki's tracking. In time, they had delved deep enough into Argentum that Arisa caught the sound of a soft distant whisper. The Melody they sought, the treasure buried deep in this hell, the last remaining life in this place of death and worse.

Nearby foliage moved even though no winds were blowing. More worrisome still was that Arisa heard no footsteps but her companions', nor did she hear the flapping of wings. She turned back and saw little but the darkness; the thin branches of dead trees, and lumps swaying from them. She did not inspect more closely. Arisa closed and opened her hands, feeling the cold metal of her rings against her skin. Save for some gold, she had left Teienshiro with no treasures but these rings infused with magic, all three of them - which would have been four if not for the one she returned to Kasumi in anger. If her own magic failed her, she could rely on these jewels… But not much. She had not truly fought or ventured into the darkness in some time, and now that she found herself in the midst of monsters again, she remembered why she had been so afraid. Each sound brought a new worry, a new gruesome thought or memory. The slightest movement, imagined or otherwise, brought to her the images that had forced her to live deep in her cups. Misaki, of course, could not show her own fear, if she felt any, and Masuki was far stronger than Arisa had ever been, but Aya and Maya moved with confidence through collapsed buildings and infested streets, as though they had no fear of what might lie ahead.

As though they had never lost a companion in a dark place such as this.

Suddenly Arisa found herself envying her companions, all of them. Only Masuki knew what existed beyond the Rift, and Lady Satou was an exceptional spirit, brave to the point of apathy before danger. But Aya and Maya had never tasted failure such as Arisa had. In the field of battle and in the heart of darkness they had never faltered, and it had been only due to their clashing hearts that they were separated. When Aya turned back to face Arisa, she managed to smile, and for a second Arisa really wished to _believe _in that smile, that all was going to be okay. _But how can you smile in a place like this? How can you be strong, how can you be brave? In a place like this, we are but prey. _

That was what she loved about Aya, she thought as her light shone on her, and what she despised about her, she understood when the light drifted away. This certainty, this unwavering faith in herself and her companions, the most passionate and sincere belief that something akin to destiny guided them to victory if only they were strong and hopeful enough, if they did their best and made the right choices. At times Arisa found it an infuriatingly naive idea. At other times, in her darkest, Arisa found it frightening.

_Am _I _not strong enough, then? Is this why I stumble where others run, why I have fallen more than most, why my foolish heart is so uncertain? _A strong person would not sabotage her own heart's desires, like Arisa had.

She wished she had more wine. The five passed underneath a stone archway just beyond the open air markets. Cloth and shattered pottery littered the cobblestone even here, and only after passing the arch and looking back did Arisa notice the eyes gleaming in the dark behind her. They were not eyes that hungered, but ones that suffered instead. Eyes heavy with a fearful curiosity and melancholy. _We are intruders in their home, _Arisa thought, _and frightening though they may be, they are pitiful as well. _Not that it made them any less dangerous. If anything, it only deepened the discomfort of being in their presence.

Arisa looked up once again, and now she saw that the night skies were concealed by the dense canopies that covered Argentum. These were no trees that Arisa had ever known; they were taller than any tree should be, and though some of them had thick, sickly trunks, they supported great weights, labyrinths of branches that grew all over one another. They did not end in fruits, however, but thorns, and their leaves were blackened, ill. Arisa would not touch them if she could avoid it: there were poisonous leaves in the Rosenreich that, when brushed up against one's skin, could cause a hideous death within an hour. If Arisa had the misfortune of being a denizen of the Rosenreich, perhaps she would consider that death a mercy, but she would prefer to remain alive for now.

The distant Melody grew louder, its words clearer. Arisa could not recognize the language, nor the voice that sang it: it was a curious thing, indeed, as it always was with Melodies, that as one focused on its sound, it inevitably shifted to other sounds, ever protean, and where only a minute ago it had been a woman's voice, now Arisa heard the plucking of harp strings, and an instant later the howling wind was drowned by the beat of drums. The sound came from the dark heart of Argentum, now consumed by overgrown, hateful nature, but when Arisa tried to locate it, it felt as though it rang inside her head and nowhere else. Melodies defied all laws of the world, for what else was the meaning of magic?

Aya extended her hand, pointed towards a large domed building some hundreds of meters ahead, its silhouette easily recognizable in the dark. A great gathering hall, it appeared, though what it had been made into since the creatures took over was anyone's guess. A nest, a food stockpile, a hoard of what they considered treasures. Whenever Arisa found herself in the homes of these monsters, she had more pressing concerns than investigating what it was that they concerned themselves with. It was true, no doubt, that she had rarely actually seen them eat, and the areas they inhabited were barren, and mere cannibalism was unlikely to sustain such great populations, so _something _had to nourish them.

Fiends gathered before the battered stone doors; Misaki and Aya readied their blades, Masuki and Maya their bows. Arisa motioned her fingers ever so slightly, and thought back on a song that she once had loved, a song she unearthed in the ruins of Rubicundus, alongside Rimi. The two had spent a week deciphering the runes they had found in a damaged book, and their reward for their efforts was an erratic composition, full of life and energy, a song that Kasumi fell in love with. It was a song of flame and wind, a song not of rage but of passionate righteousness. It was not the kind of magic that touched Arisa's heart, but right now its sheer power might be exactly what they needed.

Their approach was met not with howls or fangs but with absolute apathy. Lethargic, the monsters standing before the doors did little but lift their heads to stare blankly at the women approaching. Their minds were elsewhere: completely consumed by the Melody just past the doors, they hardly qualified as alive anymore. And this, regardless of what Tae and Kasumi might wish to believe, was the inevitable fate of all who fell prey to Melomania. It was not by chance that the condition had been thus named. When Aya retrieved the Melody, Arisa knew, they would truly be endangered.

A beast purred as they passed by and pushed the doors open; its furry body was grotesquely elongated, and though it did not seem particularly deformed, the way its body coiled like a serpent's was uncanny, and its very existence seemed painful. As the five entered the hall, the creature feebly tried to crawl towards them, but its diminutive limbs didn't carry it far at all.

"Fuck," Misaki said as she stepped into the hall. Arisa had to agree. The building was impossible to recognize as somewhere that had once been inhabited by humans, for most of the walls had either collapsed long ago or were now covered in vines or a disgusting red and fleshy substance. Arisa felt her knees weaken, but that was far from the last of the horrors.

Most of the dome had collapsed, but there was no seeing the sky through the gaping hole, as that whole portion of the building was now a frightening array of branches that twisted together to make for walkways over a dozen meters high, and all manner of warped beasts roamed there, looking down on the interlopers. Whatever purpose this building might have served once was now completely lost, and all Arisa could offer were guesses. No furniture or hint of what it had once been had remained, and so many of the walls had been torn down or replaced by thick tangles of wood that nothing was left to recognize. Closer to the entrance, there was no sign of life, but in the center of the building, where massive piles of debris had been taken by nature, hundreds of creatures were sprawled along the cracked floor and the rubble. And in the middle of it all, the Melody.

"There's no way we can get there," Misaki said.

"Actually, getting there would be incredibly easy. The Melody makes them docile, so even if it seems as though they are staring directly at us, they're likely not even aware we're here," Masuki replied. "Of course, the second we try to take the Melody away from them, they'll come after us and tear us to pieces. _That_ is the inconvenient part."

"You think so?" Misaki said. "Before any of you even thinks of suggesting it, I will _not _serve as bait. I don't have the slightest intention of learning what it'd feel like to have all of my pieces scattered and buried underneath a mass of… Of abominations."

"You wouldn't serve as bait," Masuki explained. "In case you didn't notice, their world is reduced to the Melody. They will chase us once it's in our possession, until we put a fair amount of distance between us and them. After that, I expect they'll lose their minds and start killing one another, or simply expire in time."

"Will they?" Aya asked, suddenly concerned. Arisa, too, wasn't aware of this, because she had the good sense of leaving cursed places such as these behind once she was done with them.

"Hm? Oh, so you do not know," Masuki continued, casually. "It is not simply emotional dependency that keeps them anchored to sources of music, namely Melodies. Have you ever seen a monster starve to death?"

"Only very rarely," said Maya. "Or, rather, we would find corpses with no visible wounds, so starvation was the only conclusion we could reach."

"They eat for pleasure," Masuki explained, "but nothing I have learned indicates that they require nourishment. Not of the sort we are used to, at least. The Silence has done more than just make people into freaks: it was a fundamental rearrangement of the primordial forces of the world."

"I didn't take you for a scholar," Misaki remarked. "That's scholarly talk, the kind I'd expect from Hina."

"I just happen to know it," Masuki said, diverting the subject. "What is relevant is that we are beings that are bonded to the inherent magic - or music - of this world. We did not merely _forget _those forces, but were ripped apart from them. So it's not simply that we can no longer remember the past but that _we _have been changed so profoundly that we cannot properly recognize what once was."

"If you had been beyond the Rift," Arisa said to Aya, "as I have with my former companions, you would see that all is in disarray, even time itself," she would rather not remember her time spent after crossing the Rift, but this was information Aya would have to learn in time. "But we are stumbling in the dark, knowing very little of what has happened and what is the true nature of the Silence."

"But I do know that it is their food now," Masuki looked towards the mass of beasts, frozen in place with arms stretched towards the gleaming Melody, that silver gem whose intense light made it appear far larger than it truly was. "Without it, yes, they will die."

"So we've been killing them all along," Maya said, disturbed. "I thought by only slaying the ones on our way we were doing what was kindest, but…"

"You really think what they have can be called _life_?" Asked Arisa. "There is no way to save them. To put them down is the kindest thing you can do to them, because no one deserves this sort of existence. Now come, let's get this over with. To linger here will do us no good. Maya, Masuki, you stay with Misaki here. She'll guard you while you let your arrows fly at anything that comes our way. Aya, I'll help you get to the Melody. And, most importantly, I'll help you get out of there when it gets ugly. Understood?"

Aya nodded in acquiescence, and the other three took their positions, bows drawn and blade poised to strike at the onslaught that was soon to come. Arisa trod lightly towards the fiendish cluster, their attention only briefly diverted towards her and Arisa. After that, they returned to their harrowing trance. Empty eyes, enslaved by the repetitive humming of the Melody, stared helplessly at the small gem, held atop a pillar of twisted, gnarled wood. At the top of the pillar the wood thinned and split just enough that it looked like a mass of elongated, emaciated fingers.

"Start singing when I reach out for it," Arisa told her, "and maybe I won't lose my hand."

"I know what I must do," Aya told her, never one to suffer her condescension. "I'm ready."

_I truly hope you are. _The Voice of Peace filled the world around them, and the attention of the monsters was diverted to them. Illuminated by the Melody's glow, they looked sickly, but Aya's song granted them some respite, enough that the humanity they had lost became clearer: Arisa recognized a trace of consciousness behind their black eyes, and, for a second, she felt a sting of pity for them.

She grasped the Melody, and the wooden fingers coiled around her hand, thorns biting into her skin. They cut at her knuckles, spread towards her wrist, but she pulled her hand free, spilling her blood all around. Her scream was overwhelmed by the furious hisses of the monsters all around: even Aya's Voice did nothing to ease their wrath, and they began to rise on maimed limbs, crawled towards the two or leapt from the wooden walkways above. Aya grabbed Arisa's hand and started to run, and Arisa placed the Melody within a glass vial, and then into her pocket.

Their pursuers were met by arrows, then by Misaki's blade. With each swing of her greatsword, half a dozen monsters were bisected: a burning blood spilled on Arisa, but some of the fiends were hollow, and when they were cut, nothing came out of them and they just lay still on the cracked stone floor.

Nature, too, had started to move, vines writhing with a life of their own, whipping at the interlopers and the beasts alike. There was no intent behind their movement, only mindless thrashing, nothing but a response to all stimuli atop it. Cracks spread along the floor as roots rose to surface and wrapped around the legs of anyone and anything they could catch. Aya drew her blade, Sieg, and freed Maya when she was caught, but the rest of the monsters here had no such luck: they were grabbed and pulled under with tremendous force, as though nature tried to squeeze them through the growing cracks and openings along the floor. Instead their bones were shattered and their flesh minced upon the jagged surface and the rising thorns.

_This place is alive_, Arisa realized to her horror. With her magic she tried to wrest control of the vines, the roots and the thorns, the tree branches spread out like filigree above them, but she understood this was not nature, this was not a forest. This was a creature that had grown around the building, within it, underneath it. _We are inside it_.

She couldn't feel her legs. Memories flooded beyond her control, and she tried to silence them by remembering a song, by trying to recall Kasumi's voice, but the fear lingered. Around her, Masuki had disposed of her bow and fought with a warhammer now, loudly shattering bones and splattering beasts into pulp and grotesque stains, while Aya and Misaki held back the onslaught of despairing souls rushing towards them, their blades both cutting down any enemies approaching and keeping the hostile flora at bay. But it was not enough. This was not a battle that could be won, and the longer they stayed here, the worse all would get.

"I'm going to do something dangerous," Arisa screamed. "When I raise my hand, I want you to turn back and start running. Close your eyes until the light dies down. You'll know it when it happens."

"The light?" Maya asked. "Arisa, what-"

"Come," Masuki urged her. "Do what Ichigaya says."

"You're coming with us, Arisa," Aya pleaded. "I hope you're not planning anything reckless and stupid like staying behind, like sacrificing yourself…"

"Ha! No, I mean to die of old age, you thrice-damned fool," Arisa tried to sound confident, but her voice failed her, and her fear was plain to all. "You're the one with stupid and reckless notions of sacrifice. Now, fuck off. It's going to be rough. And don't look at the fucking light."

Her companions turned, then, urged on by Masuki. As soon as the fiends were upon her, she clenched her fist and felt fire on her hands as her rings shattered into gold and gem dust. A forceful organ boomed, and she put all of her strength into the song she had uncovered with Rimi, that song of ruinous light and dread. A red sphere lingered briefly in front of her before it caught fire, so intense that Arisa's own clothes were singed, then caught flame for an instant before she could control the magic. The fire made ashes of the closest beasts, then rushed to the center of the chamber, where the Melody had been. The fiends were torn between fleeing and admiring the pure scarlet, the resounding organ. But it would make no difference.

Arisa closed her eyes, but still she could see the light. Everything shook and dust began to fall on her head, and a nightmarish boom silenced all else. She ran, eyes wide shut, the light burning through her eyelids. She could see the vague shapes of the world around her, all of it consumed in a flash of white. When she looked down, she could not make out the ground she trod upon, but she saw her own bones aglow, the insides of her body plain to see through her shut eyelids. Behind her, she felt the fall of something heavy, and she felt the lick of searing winds on her back, felt the fabrics of her clothes wear out with the flames, and she screamed in silenced agony as the remains of the gold of her rings melted and fused with her skin.

Only when she felt the wind again did she open her eyes, and to her relief she saw all her companions alive, the four looking up in horror in the middle of a deserted street. Their faces were pale, and Maya had fallen to her knees. The light had died down, but the fire burned on, and oh how it burned. The tree-like growth that covered the building caught fire, and so did the stone, the whole building collapsing on itself, a furious bright red flame roaring as it broke through the stone and hissed, reaching for the skies. Molten glass rained down on the streets, and the rock itself began to turn into a grey blob, enveloping the trees.

Arisa retched. Blood left her mouth, and yellow bile, and she felt so weak that she would have fallen if not for Misaki holding her by the arm. She just stared at the building crumble, long spires of bark writhing like hugely deformed limbs, the limbs of a creature in pain. Arisa started to cry as the horror was too much for her to bear. She had seen nightmares like this beyond the Rift, but never here, never in the heart of a great kingdom. She remembered all she had seen, and to her companions' dismay, she covered her face with her arms, panicking, spewing out senseless words, and she found herself desperately longing for Kasumi.

"Arisa!" Aya put her hands on her shoulders, tried to her her to look at her. "Arisa, it's over. Arisa, please, you don't have to cry, it's alright, we're alright."

"No, no, no," she repeated, shoving Aya away from her. "We have to leave. We have to leave now, I can't… No, I can't bear it… Not like this, not like this…"

"Arisa…" The pity in Maya's voice was almost maddening. How could they speak, how could they _not _weep after this? If they knew what memories consumed her, they would understand…

"Come, we are not out of danger yet," Masuki called out. "There's still-"

A roar came from the crumbling building, then a gust of burning wind. Like innards, vines began to spill out through the gaps in the stones, and from beneath the earth something massive began to rise. _A tree_, it first appeared, but not quite. Its branches were not rigid, and found passage through the rocks, and they reached for the five outside as though they were long fingers, tentacles. Tentacles made of wood, creaking as they twisted themselves into smaller forms. Masuki was distant enough to avoid this death knell, while Aya and Misaki started to run, but Maya struggled to rise, tripping on roots that clung to her ankle, and Arisa found herself paralyzed in horror as she looked at the grotesque branches and saw that, once again, she was wrong. It was not _one _being she was looking at.

Faces were spread along the tree bark. They were frozen in pain, in horror, in fear, the wood like a tight mask pressed against them, and through the holes that were their eyes and their mouths vines burst out, lashing out at anything before them. But the dissonant, muffled screams of pain were the worst thing. Arisa had heard them before. She froze, and couldn't even find the strength to cry, even as, by her side, Maya was enveloped by vines and dragged to an open mouth, teeth of thorns ripping the leather of her armor and sinking into her stomach. She extended her arm to Arisa, shrieking for help, but she could not move. Underneath her legs, she felt the warmth of a puddle of her own making.

_Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again. Not again._

Sieg gleamed and cut through the air and through the vines imprisoning Maya. Aya helped her up, a pool of blood following Maya where she walked, and Arisa felt cold fingers around her body. Misaki lifted her, and carried her as she began to run. Arisa didn't blink. She stared at the writhing, dying mass in front of her, she regarded the fires with dread, and by the time she heard howls all around, dark figures approaching underneath the fading red glow, she couldn't find the strength to move.

* * *

_Deeper and deeper they went, the suns swallowed by the unreachable canopies, the darkness of the woods enveloping them with its cold. Arisa looked up to see a tangle of thorns and eyes gleaming in the dark, withered leaves falling like rain over them, disappearing as they reached the surprisingly soft ground. The earth swallowed them, and held on to Arisa's boots as well, and she felt herself sink whenever she stayed still, so she never did._

_Behind her, only the soft breaths of her companions; they were six in all, but Arisa could not tell if they were too few or too many to come here. That there was a sinister aura all around was no surprise, but this was hardly the first time Arisa had delved into tainted lands, so why did it feel so unfamiliar? She knew what she would face. She no longer found any surprise in horror._

"_How long, do you figure?" Saya whispered._

"_Hard to say," Mayu replied. At least Arisa thought that was Mayu; she had not yet had enough time to grow accustomed to the voices of her new companions. They were Saya's friends, not hers. Kasumi, Rimi and Tae stayed behind with Rei in the hovels of the beasts' nameless village, but instead of simply heading back north, there was, of course, an impediment keeping them south of the Rift. "The shack shouldn't be more than thirty minutes away from the village, but as you can see-"_

"_It's been two fucking hours," Arisa said. "Are we lost? How could we have gotten lost when we have walked in a straight fucking line all this time?"_

"_That's the thing," said the girl who was probably Satomi. She spoke softly, but her words were always easy to hear. "When I journeyed from the village to the shack, the journey took me an hour. I brought Fumika with me the second time, but after three hours we had not gotten anywhere near the heart of the woods, so we headed back. Natsuki had gotten there in just minutes, but it took her almost an entire day to leave."_

"'_Least I _think _it was a day," she admitted. "Not like I can rely on the sun and moon to tell the time, not here. Just the other day, instead of the sun rising in the morning, three moons did instead, and the day was just as bright even though when we looked at the sky, it was still black and full of stars. Disturbing."_

"_All the same," Arisa continued, "what this means is we have no idea when we'll get there. Brilliant. We should head back. They're dead. We'll find only corpses."_

"_You don't know that," Fumika insisted. "If we leave without learning the fate of the folk of the village, I'll blame myself until I die."_

"_Then learn to live with it," Arisa groaned. "Guilt's not poison. You'll endure. We should be leaving as quickly as possible. It's not safe beyond the Rift. You were mad for staying."_

"_We had no choice," Mayu said. "The Eaters wouldn't allow us to leave. We would be hunted down before ever reaching Coloratus or the Rosenreich. And we had people to care for. Rei and the others-"_

"_Are almost animals now," said Arisa. "Yes, it'd be very sad to leave them here to suffer and die. But there is only so much you can ever do. To simply die in this folly…"_

"_But we won't die," said Natsuki. "We have you with us now. All we needed was a few more hands, and you've collected plenty of Melodies already, so you're no strangers to this. To monsters…"_

_Monsters. That, of course, was the obvious truth behind the disappearance of the village's entire population. But monsters were a matter none ever wished to speak of, least of all the monsters that lived beyond the Rift. Arisa and Saya had only been there briefly compared to their current companions, and seen far lesser horrors, but there was no doubt that as they moved further into the woods, they would face terrible dangers._

_As they delved deeper, the trees thrived with grotesque life, their bark now fleshy, cancerous growths in the heart of the forest, and along their surface, veins pumped blue blood. They breathed, Arisa realized as the air grew thick and warm, and the roots of the living trees sucked the earth dry, rendering it no longer a deathly brown or cracked grey but a tone closer to white. Arisa felt the urge to turn back. The people they hoped to find here were surely dead._

"_This is madness," she told her companions. The ground beneath her feet shook to the rhythm of a heartbeat. "Let us head back. The villagers are dead, I'm sorry to say, and if we keep going we'll join them."_

"_Have you no courage?" Fumika asked. "Or honor, for that matter? You can weave magic: this power also tasks you with defending those who cannot protect themselves. If we had more people like you, then we would not have been living underneath the boots of the Eaters."_

"_You cannot always flee, Arisa," said Mayu. "True, we may be fighting only to find corpses, but the missing villagers were under our protection. We must avenge them, or, at the very least, find out what happened to them."_

"_They died. That's what happened."_

"_You're noble-born, aren't you?" Natsuki asked with disdain. "As far as I know, and do tell me if I'm mistaken, but in exchange for us bowing and licking your boots, it is your sacred duty to guard the helpless. These people we've been tracking, they might mean nothing to you, just a bunch of unwashed peasants, nameless and faceless, and so it means no great deal to you to simply turn back when that's safer for you. Why would you risk yourself for your lessers, hm? 'Course, the chance that we'll find anyone alive is meager, and so is the worth of their lives. If we keep going, if we happen to find one surviving soul, then that is one life we will have saved. One life that may endure for decades still, a life to be lived fully. But of course that doesn't matter at all to you, does it?"_

"_Natsuki, that's enough," said Saya. Arisa was glad that, at least, she bothered to stand by her. "We will see this to the end, as promised. But don't antagonize Arisa simply because she's cautious. We may yet be grateful for her thoughtfulness."_

_From the look on the four women's faces, that was not fucking likely. So be it, Arisa decided, sighing. She didn't care about their opinions: soon they would find that no survivors remained, because when had monsters ever spared anyone's life? After that, they would turn back and leave the woods, head north past the Rift, go back home and hopefully never return to this eldritch place. Arisa had seen enough for a lifetime. _

_Of course, the horrors of the Deadlands had little consideration for what she had and hadn't seen, and continued to display more of its indifferent cruelty: the twisted trees bore no fruit but hanged corpses, ropes of sinew coiled around their necks. When they turned, swaying as the fleshy trees breathed, there were only reddened skulls where their faces should be, the eyes long since devoured, leaving a deep darkness behind. Worms ate their way into the exposed bones, and when Satomi approached a dead child to investigate, brittle fragments of the skull crumbled into shards the wind soon scattered, and the bone and flesh underneath had been made into small, hollow hives where larvae nested._

"_Enough," said Arisa. "To go any further would be folly. Pray tell, what do you hope to find? Go and count the corpses, you'll find there's as many as there are people missing."_

"_There are not," said Satomi. "We would not remain hopeful if there were. The village was to the south of our main encampment, and there were seventy-three people living there on our last count. There are definitely nowhere near as many dead in the woods. The others may be alive."_

"_The others may have died on the way," Arisa proposed._

"_We are six," said Natsuki, "and from what Saya has told us, when you were five you accomplished quite a lot north of the Rift and in Suilen. Why should it be different now that we are more?"_

"_Do you hear your own words?" Arisa couldn't believe it. "This is no adventure, this is no time for bravery and boldness. The five of us survived this long because we always respected the danger of the forsaken ruins we explored. Because we did not wantonly march into the jaws of death. Every time one chooses to fight, they are at risk."_

"_And the risk is worth it," Fumika insisted. "We're not fools. We know we could die. But that is a risk we have decided to take. We have judged it worth it. I'd sooner die in battle, fighting for the soul of the world, than cowering, withering, all the while telling myself it's safer."_

_There would be no arguing with them. At any other time, Arisa would have found their sense of duty to be admirable, the way they were fully prepared to go to such lengths to rescue the people who depended on them. But now her unease was too great for that. Now she ventured into unknown depths._

_Fumika pointed at something in the distance. The shack previously mentioned, the one Natsuki had convinced herself simply had to be where the missing villagers were being held by monsters. That they had been carried away from their homes whilst still living had been a reasonable enough conclusion, given their tracks had been found right next to a trail of metal scraps, pieces of cloth and belts and clasps a prisoner might manage to free oneself of; a clever safety measure taught to the common folk by these more experienced rangers who had spent years surviving in the Deadlands. But a captive would not remain alive for long, and already the better part of a week had passed. Monsters were ravenous, hasty, unlikely to preserve a meal for another day, because to them there was no such thing as _tomorrow.

_Cautiously, Satomi slid the door open, its creak a mournful cry that sounded like a woman's voice. Weapons were drawn then; Saya's long spear led their advance, and would put some space between them and the monsters ahead - that was the hope, at least. Arisa focused on well-remembered songs, ones she had rehearsed alongside Rimi and Tae, but hoped her spells would not be needed. Her music had always been most attuned to nature, and she could inspire life and strength into the withered soil, its flowers, vines and thorns, but here there was nothing._

_There was little inside the shack: a table left on the corner, and half a dozen chairs scattered senselessly. Footsteps on the floor led to a half-opened trapdoor, one that Natsuki needed almost no effort to lift: indeed, it was as though it opened itself for her, inviting her to descend into the darkness. Steep stairs led down, and Saya poked at the darkness with her lance. She called for light, and Arisa promptly complied, but there was little to be revealed but a round tunnel leading into an abyss far below, far ahead._

_Something felt wrong at once. The tunnel walls were of no material Arisa could recognize: it looked like rock, but, just like the ground underneath her boots, its consistency was more like that of a blighted fen, her feet sinking ever so slightly with each step she took. And the stench was miserable - but, distinctively, it was not the smell of death and rot. That was a relief, but worrisome at the same time. It meant Arisa had even less of a notion of what to expect than she had first thought._

_Long lines of dark blue ran along the ceilings, accompanying them as they delved deeper into the tunnel. The walls widened while the ceiling became only slightly more distant, but still too close for comfort. The rocks reddened and the blue brightened, and in time sounds other than their footsteps grew louder, and though they were still distant, they called them to come closer, and Arisa's companions promptly followed its call. They were voices: men's voices, women's, even children's, many of them, some half-whispered cries for help, others confused, anguished moans. And howling._

_From the darkness ahead, a dozen huge, corrupted mastiffs pounced on them, and were immediately cut down. They were easy enough to dispose of, but an inspection of their bodies gave pause to even Natsuki, who was horrified to see that some of them had paws with long human-like fingers, not claws, and that they wore the faces of the corpses hanged at the woods above the surface. They were stretched poorly over their heads, like ill-fitting masks, and the way their eyes shone behind the holes on the slabs of hollowed flesh was positively disturbing._

"_What the fuck…?" _

"_This is not the first time we see something like this," said Mayu. "These monsters are drawn to collecting… Trinkets, usually, but sometimes body parts, too, anything that will make them believe themselves to be a little bit human, still. But I'd never seen them take people's faces like this. And to flay them, to stretch them out like a mask… They don't usually do anything so complex."_

"_Complex wasn't the word I had in mind," said Arisa. "So, what now? The voices are not far. Shall we go?"_

_They didn't have to be asked again. They were so close now, and with the voices still calling out to them, Arisa found she was glad to be proved wrong, to learn that there was still a chance to save all the people who had disappeared. They quickened their pace, Arisa urging them to remain cautious, but finally tempted to succumb to their optimism._

_The odd smell became more intense, the air around them hotter and damper. Even though there was now more space all around them, so much that it was now difficult to even see the walls to their sides, Arisa found it harder to breathe; there didn't appear to be any gases in the air, no poison she could recognize, it was more like an absence of air. But they were close enough now that the voices were distinct enough to tell apart, but the pleas for help were strained, slurred. No wonder: they would have been starving for days at this point, and close to death. So they ran, following the voices, hoping they were not too late. _

_Arisa was the first to see them, and at once she wished she hadn't: they were not imprisoned in cages or tied to a pillar, but instead clustered all together, clumped up against the ceiling just one or two meters out of reach, their bodies enveloped by a sickly reddened mass that bubbled and oozed, drops falling onto the ground. All those people were alive, that much was beyond doubt, but Arisa was compelled to kill them right now and put them out of their misery, as they were not merely imprisoned, awaiting torture or execution._

_They were being digested._

_Where the vile ooze touched their bodies, their flesh had sloughed off to give the slime its disgusting color, and the desperate cries for help came from barely-alive people whose faces were hard to fully recognize as human: their flesh was like molten candle wax, their skeletons exposed, some of them little more than just their bones now. Arisa caught a glimpse of a still-twitching head attached to the exposed bones of an upper torso, the remaining organs somehow still functioning. The dying cried for help in a gargle of pained sounds, but there was no help that could be offered to them. Half-digested faces turned to the six women who had just arrived, and as they moved their eyes spilled from their sockets, and their ghastly moans grew louder and louder, the gelatinous mass clinging to the ceiling stirring, until there was a loud popping sound and a red bubble burst, spilling its contents all over Mayu._

_She did not scream. Indeed, it was as though she had never even been there in the first place. She had been no more than three meters away from Arisa, but now all that remained was a misshapen pile of sporadically jerking flesh. Saya babbled some unnerved words, while a quivering Satomi dropped her sword to the ground. An inhuman noise came out of Natsuki's throat, and Fumika stared blankly at her friend's remains, calling out Mayu's name._

_The reality of it only sank in when Arisa shrieked and started to cry, and the writhing mass began to descend upon them, its entrapped victims still deep inside it. It slithered along the ground, and Saya's spear did nothing to it but be consumed. Arisa began to run away, Fumika right behind her; a fleshy tendril extended from the monstrosity, and wrapped itself around Fumika's ankle. Arisa turned back to help, but already Fumika had fallen, her sword clanging by her side, her leg split in half, blood trailing behind her as she crawled, but she did not last long before her limbs were ripped one by one, as though the abomination was not merely famished but sadistic._

_Natsuki and Satomi continued to try and repel the monstrosity, the former with a heavy mace and the latter with magic, azure sparks shocking the mass of flesh, convulsing the bodies trapped inside, but doing little to halt the creature. It stared at them, not with its own eyes but with those of its victims, floating inside it. A red lash snapped at Satomi, and her innards began to spill from her body, almost cut in half. Natsuki tried to hold her, to help her up, but she was already dead._

_If not for Saya lingering behind, Arisa would have already abandoned them all and fled, knowing there was no way to fight something they didn't understand. Yet Natsuki continued to try, less out of hope of victory and more because of the grief and rage she felt for her slaughtered companions. Arisa grabbed Saya's arm, tried to convince her to run with her, but she continued to plead with Natsuki, to try and force her to let go, but she continued to shriek and bludgeon the disgusting mess in front of her, doing little to it but deforming its ever-shifting shape. A tendril circled her gauntleted hand, then slithered up her arms, the metal starting to smoke and melt. Screaming, she called out to Saya for help, extending her free hand. Saya tried to pull her, to no avail. There was no freeing her, and she was dead already, even if they didn't realize._

"_Let go, Saya," Arisa begged her. As soon as Natsuki was consumed, Saya would be next. Arisa could not lose her. Arisa _would _not lose her. "Please, let go of her."_

"_No! No, no, Natsuki, hold on, I feel you coming free," Saya disregarded Arisa, putting even more effort into it, when the truth was that Natsuki's trapped arm was being torn, devoured, its upper half connected to the lower only by thick strands of flesh, muscle and bone that started to snap and break. "I'll save you, I'll save you, I'll-"_

_Arisa lifted Fumika's sword and brought it down on a gap between Natsuki's pauldron and her arm, cleaving through her flesh and freeing Saya from her. She grabbed Saya's hand and did not look back as she dragged her out of the tunnels. Either Natsuki died in eerie silence or Arisa blocked out her screams; thankfully, Saya followed her, and helped her on the final stretch, supporting Arisa when she felt her strength fail and she almost collapsed. When they neared the exit, Arisa turned back, but did not focus on the sight far ahead of her, in the dark, instead closing her eyes and recalling the song she had rehearsed earlier, remembered its fire and wrath, and unleashed it against the darkness._

_And then she fell on Saya's arms. What happened immediately after she did not know: she recalled only flashes of red light, a dozen voices screaming, the feeling of the world rumbling all around her, and the smell of burned flesh. When at last she woke, she was abed, Kasumi asleep on the floor next to her, and though Arisa was tempted to reach out to her, to call her name and wake her up, she found she struggled to even move. She was not wounded, exhausted though she may be, but even now her whole body continued to shake in fear._

* * *

Even before Lady Nonomiya explained to Eve what had happened, she could figure out from Aya's absence, Masuki's horse, and the hole on the gates of Argentum that she was too late. Every word coming out of Lalafin's mouth only confirmed Eve's fears, and even increased them. Near the gates were the marks of battle, bloodstains remaining even after all corpses had been moved away, either burned or buried.

"You should have turned them away," Eve reprimanded Nonomiya. "You should have-"

"I've heard enough from Yamato to know that you, too, backed her choice of leaving with Maruyama," Lalafin said, sitting by the battered remains of a palisade, her soldiers receiving medical treatment before she did, so she endured a rather nasty cut on the cheek. Eve misliked the look of it, and her sloppiness in getting proper care. A wound like that could easily infect. "Thegn Wakamiya, I don't know if I find your loyalty to Queen Shirasagi admirable or twisted, that you were quite alright with Lady Yamato acting behind her back, but as soon as you received strict orders from your liege you rode off to put an end to the quest that you, yourself, had supported! Isn't that a bit hypocritical, and even senseless?"

"I do what my queen commands," said Eve, "but I am not my queen's eyes and ears, and certainly not her brain to make decisions for her. Besides, I'm no fool. I knew she would command me to retrieve Maya, so the only unexpected order was regarding what is to be done to Countess Ichigaya. I trust Aya to retrieve the Melody safely, and I would have trusted her to find a way into Argentum without your permission. But by openly supporting her, Lady Nonomiya, you have defied Queen Shirasagi. You had to have known that she would not suffer Yamato risking her life like this."

"Oh? But, just like you, I only followed orders, and had received no such command from the queen that I was to forbid Yamato from proceeding," Eve could not know if this was true or not; if Queen Chisato had sent Argenturris a messenger raven, Lalafin could easily justify herself by saying the bird had not arrived. "I've committed no treason, surely our beloved Queen Shirasagi would not be so unreasonable. Still, Thegn Wakamiya, you are eager to assert that you are no fool, but I had never assumed such a thing of you. Come, now, we are both adults, we should respect each other's intelligence. I admire your daring, I must say, and your craftiness… Are you truly Shirasagi's loyal, devoted servant, or have you perhaps dared to hope that you would have arrived just a little after your friends enter Argentum, with perfect timing to rescue them? You do have quite a lot of knights with you, and you _did _support Yamato's decision to accompany Maruyama, so it's not too difficult for me to make the connection that, save for Ichigaya and the Mad Dog's early arrival, everything that has transpired is quite to your liking."

"You presume a great deal, Lady Nonomiya," Eve said, stern. "You presume I would cross my queen's strict commands."

"Of course not. But if you could not arrive in time, if you reached Argentum only after Aya had already delved deep into the city and reclaimed its Melody, then you would have no choice but to help her in any way you can. In fact, with Yamato by her side, it would be your _duty_ to ride into Argentum and guarantee their safety."

Eve did not wish to betray whether or not that truly was her intention, but Lalafin's smile reminded Eve that she had always been a terrible liar. What could she do, then, but sigh?

"It's what I would have done, you know?" Lalafin told her. "It's a convoluted plan with no promise of success, one that requires on misleading everyone around you, generously interpreting the orders you're given, and that would only work if everyone acted exactly as you expect them to. I love it. Still, perhaps it was not so risky after all, because you know the queen better than anyone else in this world."

"Almost anyone else," Eve said, bitterly thinking of Aya. When she returned to Albio, Eve had dared hope that she and the queen might make amends, but that never came to pass. "There was no other way. Queen Shirasagi would never allow it otherwise. She is too stubborn. If Maya and I pleaded for her to allow us to accompany Aya, we would be denied. Were it any other way, there would be impediments."

"Would there?"

"To my honor," Eve explained. Faced with Lalafin's skepticism, she elaborated. "Honor is not blind obedience, and deceit that gives everyone what they want may be more admirable than absolute honesty. That's what I like to believe, at least."

"Your secrets are safe with me, Thegn Wakamiya," Lalafin attempted to smile, always a difficult proposition with her scarred face. "It seems that I have misjudged you."

"You don't spend years in the presence of Loremaster Hikawa without learning a thing or two about deception," Eve said.

"Hm, this sort of craftiness makes me think of a different Hikawa entirely. No matter. You have friends to rescue, no? Go on, then. I shall not bar your path, but I will not have my men sent into Argentum to offer you aid, as they have bled enough and have earned plentiful repose."

Eve commanded her riders to mount their steeds again, and as she approached the ruined gates, she heard Masuki's horse neigh, as if calling out to her, and the animal began to follow Eve and her knights, even after they attempted to shoo her away. In the end, Eve found it best to allow her to seek her master. Besides, having a spare horse was always useful, and this one seemed more clever than an ordinary beast.

Past the rubble and the ashes they found old Argentum, abandoned for about as long as Eve had been in these lands. She had never seen the city before it fell into ruins, and so could not mourn its lost grandeur as so many others did. Even so, the feeling of wrongness was overwhelming in Argentum, and the trotting of their horses would no doubt call attention to their presence… But all throughout the night they rode onwards and were undisturbed, though a great deal of time was wasted circumventing the narrow streets, covered by the debris of crumbling buildings and the thick roots of overgrown trees that burrowed their way through wood and stone. In the dark, it was practically impossible to find any tracks in this environment of ashes and dust.

Little stirred but their shadows. Argentum extended much farther still, and without Aya's gifts Eve was uncertain of how to track a Melody, how to find Yamato and the others… A daylight search would be far easier, but there was no point in waiting. Perhaps they might find a sign in the distant darkness…

Or the rumbling of the earth. Frightened, most of the horses tried to gallop away, before being restrained by their riders. Eve looked up at the small, discrete stars in the sky, the only light that shone other than their torches. Within minutes, they disappeared, devoured by the night, by what Eve thought at first might be a cloud, but soon realized could only be smoke. The smoke of a violent fire far away; she commanded her riders to put their torches out, and then, immersed in complete obscurity, a faint red light revealed itself far away, many miles north. They were headed the right direction, at least. And yet a sight and sound like that could not be good omens. Their way uncovered, Eve had the torches lit again, and commanded her knights to make haste.

Perhaps it was simply that her eyes had gotten used to being here, but now Eve thought she saw more than just shadows and ruin, and from all directions, _something_ was moving, something watched them, but there were no eyes to be found, and when lights were cast upon darkened corners, alleyways and broken homes, there was nothing there to reveal. The horrors would always avoid them, but Eve knew better than to assume that meant they were afraid. They were hunters, not prey, and to ever forget that was a carelessness that could relinquish one's life.

Eve heard the crackling of fire, heard the shaking of the earth somewhere far away, but it was howls she focused on, attempted to hear, howls and screams for help. She would know, then, beyond doubt where to find her former companions and the three new ones that had replaced her, Chisato and Hina. Though Eve aimed to avoid low feelings like bitterness and jealousy, she couldn't help but wish she could have been by Maya's side, that she could hear Aya sing once more, that Hina and Queen Chisato could be with them as well, all taking care of one another in this dangerous place. Ichigaya, Satou and Okusawa seemed reliable enough, or at least Aya didn't seem afraid to put her life in their hands, but still this did not feel right. It had to be the five of them, just as they had been, once. Three were more than willing, but the other two were a different matter entirely…

A hiss from the dark, the flapping of wings. A flock of carrion crows passed them by, and these were just as twisted as the city they inhabited, their swollen bodies far too heavy for their stunted wings, keeping them flying low, and with difficulty. But they sought something, and they flew with determination and purpose. They tracked the scent of blood and death, but whether that slaughter had come to pass or was yet to be, Eve could not know. The latter, she hoped. It meant she was not out of time.

A hurried gallop kept them ahead of the dark wings that gave chase, and the light of their torches gave life to shadows that far outnumbered their own. _Behind us now_, Eve realized, but did not turn back to see. Instead she drew her blade and rode at full tilt towards the red, towards the heart of Argentum, her steed leaping over tangles of oversized roots, and soon the shadows that had been behind her were now by her sides, claws swiping at her before she swung her blade and spread limbs across the city streets. Lupine creatures lunged at her horse, as though realizing that Eve herself was too difficult a target. She yelled a command, and a spear was thrown at a fiend that had come dangerously close to her, piercing through its head.

There were more and more noises now, more shadows and more lights, but the monsters on their way could not withstand the brunt of a cavalry charge, and were trampled to bloody pieces. Eve shouted, called out to Aya; though she could not yet see Maruyama, she could see her magic and its pink sparks, not too far now. A whistle sounded in response, and Cherrywind darted off to follow it.

_They are not five, _Eve thought in horror when she saw humans emerge from the darkness, but was relieved to see that Arisa and Maya were being carried, and were still alive, though likely wounded. Eve rushed to their aid, keeping their pursuers at bay with precise strikes of her blade, and Masuki ran towards her horse to lay Maya atop its saddle. She was bleeding heavily, and the wounds on her belly were deep. Eve concealed her shock and kept herself from recoiling so as not to worry Maya, but it made no difference, because when Eve called her name, Maya struggled to even move her head to face her.

A line of spears guarded their retreat, and Aya mounted right behind Eve, yelling at her to hurry. Eve did not hesitate for an instant; she galloped away as quickly as her steed could take her, screaming the command that they were to battle the fiends on their way only to open a path, and otherwise were to rush back to the gates. She didn't even think of asking Aya about the Melody. She only took her eyes from the roads directly in front of her to look to her sides, to the encroaching shadows and, most critically, Maya.

Eve had seen wounds like that on the battlefield. She had rarely seen, however, them turn into scars. As the shadows scattered and the sun started to come out, painting the sky a faint red, Eve chose to silence her mind of thoughts and fear. She would have time for them later.


End file.
